HAMUN 40 Background Guide: The Privy Council of Queen Elizabeth I Introduction

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1 HAMUN 40 Background Guide: The Privy Council of Queen Elizabeth I Introduction During her reign, Queen Elizabeth I faced the grand challenge of building England s stature in the world and spreading its political and economic influence. When she began, England was a backwater nation amongst the powers of Europe with little to offer in a world that was getting much, much bigger through exploration, colonization, and commercial strength. Yet, she was not alone in taking on the challenge of mastering England s ascension. Her Privy Council of skilled and intelligent individuals was incredibly important in aiding Elizabeth to make vital decisions and as an institution, the Council never had and never would be able to exercise as much influence and power as it did for Queen Elizabeth. Through their partnership, by the end of Elizabeth s reign in 1603, England pulled itself up and ascended into a golden era. The Privy Council s Role in Government Government in the Elizabethan era could be divided into three parts: the sovereign monarch, the Privy Council, and Parliament. Monarchs held the divine right to rule and power over English law, so all acts of these governing bodies were done in the name of the Queen and ultimately, decisions rested on her shoulders. The Queen s responsibilities ranged from the minting of currency, oversight over royal marriages, and her ability to suspend the law meant she had significant influence over the whole legal system in England. Monarchs still needed the support of the powerful nobles and landed classes, so to be successful, one had to make sure the desires of those members of society were heard (or at least, give the illusion that they are heard). Parliament was a respected institution, but was largely controlled by the monarch. Elizabeth had the ability to summon and dissolve Parliament, could veto bills, dictate what discussion revolved around, and could grant nobility titles which would allow membership into the House of Lords. However, despite all this, Parliament still proved to be a counterweight because it was the only body that could raise taxes for government revenue and change laws. Several members of the Privy Council had ties to Parliament and could influence decisions taken by parliamentary leaders. The Privy Council handled the core executive aspects of government. The members were officials chosen by the Queen and the body was responsible for carrying out the decisions she made. Therefore, it spent much effort acting as an administrative

2 organization that oversaw several topics ranging from national budget allocations and military supervision. The Council could submit orders to the military, issue proclamations, and create mandates to general society. It also served as the link between Queen and local administrators by communicating her orders to them. As the body that speaks for the Queen, the Privy Council had the authority to initiate legislation, with the expectation that Parliament would then turn it into law. It could even convene special judicial sessions where grievances with common law could be taken up in the Star Chamber. With an incredible amount of practical power, the Privy Council proved to be a vital force in Elizabethan government. Elizabeth had full jurisdiction to choose and appoint members to her Privy Council as need be. There were no limits to how many people could be on the council. Councilors were men of influence and power which created very intense dynamics when councilors were in disagreement. Some men were allies and others were enemies, and each person brought with them their personal goals, political and religious beliefs, and tensions into the fold. The Queen enjoyed seeing divisions, as it gave her multiple points of view that would inform her to make a better decision. Elizabeth succeeded with her council in large part due to a relationship based on respect and duty. She was able to command loyalty out of her councilors, so despite the fact that she was very forceful and critical, her Council served her with distinction. Elizabeth was a cautious individual and liked to think matters through before making a final decision. Sometimes, she even preferred to wait and let matters resolve themselves without risking anything on her part. The Council was always on its toes waiting for her to make a decision and awaited the chance that she might change her mind, as well. The Council was also responsible for pulling decisions out of her and being able to poke her in the directions they saw fit. Otherwise, Elizabeth may have not made many decisions at all. This ability to be a driving force is yet another reason why the Privy Council was such an important institution. England s Challenges, 1572 England had been struggling when Elizabeth ascended to the throne in Catholic and Protestant tensions were at a tipping point due to Queen Mary s policies and the royal treasury had also been severely depleted. England s population was increasing and built a stronger and more vibrant labor and production force, but ultimately, led to inflation and a rise in poverty. Only the higher classes of nobles, land owners, and merchants were literate, and information communication was rather slow due to poor infrastructure. Internationally, the Crown faced threats from all around. Several countries even doubted her claim to the throne after she took it from Mary, Queen of Scots, who was currently being held in custody by Queen Elizabeth. Several plots, such as the Ridolfi Plot (1571), proved she was less than secure in her right to rule. Other nations were branching

3 out and exploring new parts of the world. The Spanish had begun colonies in the New World and were transporting gold and riches back to their home shores and increasing their wealth and position in the hierarchy of global powers. France had settled after the cessation of the Hundred Years War and began to build alliances to balance against Spain and England. They also had an eye on Scotland as another zone of influence. Elizabeth took up a policy that recognized both nations as threats to her rule and needed to ensure that she could keep both powers at an arm s length. The Spanish were the most direct threat to England at this time. England and Spain were climbing towards the peak of bad relations due to Spain s occupation of the Netherlands. Phillip II, Spain s king, went on a religious campaign in the Netherlands to eliminate the diversity of Christian religions and claim dominion for Spanish Catholicism. England, not forsaking its Protestant allies and the trade they provided, pushed to aid the Netherlands. When Spain moved forces in, England saw it as an offensive engagement and thus started conflict between the sides throughout the late 1560s. Privateers, basically Crown-sanctioned pirates, roamed the seas and captured Spanish trading ships to steal gold and further strengthen the royal treasury. Religious threats would further disrupt Elizabeth s prosperity, as well. In 1570, Pope Pius V officially excommunicated Elizabeth through a papal bull and made a statement that no good Catholic could be a good subject Phillip II of Spain to this Queen. With Catholic uprisings occurring in Scotland that required pacification, the Queen and her Council had deep concern over the possibility of rising Catholic rebellions at home in England. This led to the creation of laws that began harsh punishments against Catholics to keep them from posing any strong threat to the Queen. Elizabeth herself was not incredibly religious or a totally devout Protestant. She was reluctant to grant favor to any form of religious extremism and aimed for moderate stances when it came to religious freedom and tolerance. She was known to veto bills that she felt were too harsh to any side of the religious argument. However, many members of her Council were prone to worrying about Catholic threats and kept her from granting too much freedom to Catholicism. Initial Committee Objectives: Secure England from Spanish and French political and military threats Prevent Catholic uprisings and cement the Church of England Thwart plots to dethrone Queen Elizabeth Lay the groundwork to establishing an English empire of colonization and exploration A Note to Delegates This background guide is simply in introduction into the many issues that you will encounter in this committee. Success in this room will require no small amount of courage and

4 wit in order to navigate your way through the politics and threats of the late 1500s. Delegates are encouraged to conduct further research on the various plots that aimed to dethrone Elizabeth (Ridolfi, Babington, etc.), the tensions between Catholicism and Protestantism in England, Privateering in Elizabethan times, Elizabeth s marital (or lack thereof) history, and the creation and execution of the Spanish Armada. Since the Privy Council consisted of members who were called upon by the Queen at any given time, we took the liberty to include people who never sat on the Council, but should be able to provide useful commentary and ideas to the situations at hand. The committee will function with delegates using action orders for simple actions and longer, resolution-style documents for major actions like treaties, declarations of war, or initiating parliamentary action. Voting procedure will require a 2/3 majority for simple actions to pass and a 3/4 majority for major actions to pass. We will also assume that the Queen approves of everything the Council passes. Below, you will find the Character List for this committee. Since we have bent the rules of history a bit to allow for a consistent continuity in our debate, be wary when researching your assigned roles. The most important things to find for your role are their states of mind, motivations, and ultimate goals. By achieving a strong grasp of those sentiments, you will then be able to apply them to the scenarios at hand during conference. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact crisis@houstonareamun.org. Character List Sir William Cecil, 1 st Baron Burghley: Lord Burghley was one of the Queen s oldest and most trusted advisors and is just as cautious as she is when it comes to taking proactive measures. His counsel to the Elizabeth reflected this attitude, and it was something she certainly valued. As the Lord High Treasurer, Cecil did not possess the same charm of other members of the Privy Council, such as Sir Robert Dudley, and did not approve of the distracting influence such flair had upon the Queen. As a practicing and serious Protestant, he held the Catholic powers on the continent in deep suspicion. Sir Francis Walsingham: Walsingham, the Secretary of State, was a man with clear, hardline principles, which could sometimes put him at odds with several other councilors. He was a fearless individual when it came to presenting his ideas and criticisms, and was very direct, even to the Queen. While his intelligence and experience was undoubtedly beneficial for both Queen and Country, Elizabeth sometimes found herself wondering what his motives truly were. Walsingham was also famous for his spy network, and was essentially the Spymaster of the Council, as well. He had people stationed throughout Europe to provide intelligence to the nations that would wish to do harm to England. Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester: Dudley was an extremely personal friend and favorite of the Queen Elizabeth, and had an ambitious heart that even got on the Queen s bad side from time to time. Dudley brought flair to the Privy Council, and it served him well in his goals to climb high into the political stratosphere. He favored strong action against the Spanish in the Netherlands and was one of the few men who knew how to work Elizabeth s affection for him. Some of the older councilors were incredibly wary of him.

5 Sir Christopher Hatton: Hatton became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth after catching her attention while impressing at one of her favorite dances at a grand party. This handsome gentleman, or the Dancing Chancellor, is a man who aims down the middle on most issues. He looks to avoid the rivalries and friendships within the Council and be above factions. This has made him few enemies and garnered a reputation as a compromiser. Elizabeth valued this, which is why he was able to often convince her from making unwise courses of action. He was wary of religion s role in England and feared threats from both Catholics and Protestants. Sir John Hawkins: Hawkins comes to the Council after serving as a spy who helped uncover and get information about the Ridolfi Plot, and for that has the Queen s sincerest regard as seen by his early knighthood. He is serving on the Privy Council as a liaison to the Royal Navy and is here to discuss military matters, advocate for the navy s strength, and discuss exploration and expansion through maritime power. He is a rising star and the Queen has high hopes for him. Walter Devereux, 1 st Earl of Essex: Devereux is a dashing, committed nobleman who is here to provide commentary on military matters and help discuss the notions of exploration and colonization. He has long been working on, at his own expense, plans to start a small colony in Ulster in Ireland, and for this reason, has been asked to provide insight on such matters on a larger scale. He does not quite have the Queen s undying respect, and sometimes, his attitude and unforgiving demeanor can be his downfall when dealing with the Queen and her councilors. John Dee: John Dee was a man with a special mind and it gave him many, many friends in high places. Somewhat of a genius in his early life, he went on to become a tutor and occasional advisor to Queen Elizabeth. He has also earned the friendship and patronage of many of the councilors who he now joins on the Privy Council, which gives him extreme popularity and gives his words weight. Most interestingly, he has devoted his life to alchemy, divination, astronomy, and mathematics which undoubtedly gives him interesting and unconventional ideas and commentary. Sir Nicholas Bacon: Bacon was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and a respected English politician. He was judicial and more impartial than other councilors and had strong opinions about the Queen s personal life and who her would-be suitors were. Despite his stark opposition to England making any alliance with France, he was certainly not in favor of going to war with them. He was very concerned with ecclesiastical matters and would be sure to bring them up when the time arose. Despite once losing the Queen s favor for being accused of doubting her claim, he reaffirmed it after proving his loyalty and deeply distrusted Mary, Queen of Scots. Sir Walter Mildmay: Mildmay had earlier gathered evidence against the Duke of Norfolk during the aftermath of the Ridofli Plot, and further gained the Queen s trust with it. He was concerned with Mary, Queen of Scots and was one of the councilors who strongly encouraged detaining her. Mildmay was a Puritan (a more radical branch of Protestantism) sympathizer. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was responsible for the budget and was, without doubt, one of the more important councilors due to his financial mind. Sir Francis Knollys: A very outspoken and even radical Protestant sympathizer, Knollys was very concerned with the threat Catholicism posed at home. Knollys has some concern with the

6 Queen s statesmanship and yearned for her to make direct decisions to avert disaster. Knollys was important as a strong link to Parliament and was known to act as a spokesperson for the Privy Council to parliamentary members. His efforts will be vital in establishing a healthy relationship with Parliament. Sir Philip Sidney: The young Mr. Sidney was part of an entourage that travelled to France to test the potential of a marriage between Elizabeth and the Duc D Alencon. As a Member of Parliament, he also brings friends and connections with him to the Council deliberations. After spending some time on the continent, he established links with some prominent politicians and intellectuals in Europe that could provide key allies to England. His love for art and poetry are also seen as a path to providing new ideas that would help secure Elizabeth s throne by further winning the hearts of the people and bringing them to her side. Sir Walter Raleigh: The extremely young, yet brilliant, Walter Raleigh is a bit of a wild card on the Council, with several wondering why such a young man is here and puzzled by his young knighthood. It is clear that the Queen sees something in his potential, otherwise she would have not asked him to sit on the Council. Elizabeth believes that Raleigh will bring innovative and strong ideas towards helping England establish an empire. He has the mind and will to be a successful explorer and Elizabeth aims to do her best to ensure he fulfills such potential and brings further glory to England.