Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in

Accession, preparing her for being Queen?

Court,
Dynasty, Look at the picture:
Heir,
Heretic,
Illegitimate, Why do you think Henry had his family pained this way? What
Queen Regnant,
Renaissance,
does it tell you about Elizabeth?
Treason
Anne Boleyn FACT: Jane
Seymour
actually
died giving
birth to
Edward.

The family of Elizabeth I, painted in c.1545. Henry VIII is in the centre with his third wife Jane Seymour to
the right of Henry and Edward to his left. Mary is on the far left, and Elizabeth is the far right.

CHALLENGE: How did the Tudors use portraits to strengthen their rule?
 Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in preparing her for being
Queen?
Accession,
Court,
Dynasty,
Heir,
Heretic,
Illegitimate,
Success Criteria:
Queen Regnant,
Renaissance,
Treason
Anne Boleyn
• To describe the key
people and
features of
Elizabeths
upbringing

• To explain how
these would have
an impact on her
reign as Queen

CHALLENGE: Thinking back to last lesson, what can you remember that might
impact Elizabeth when she became Queen?
 Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in preparing her for being
Queen?
Accession,
Court,
Dynasty, David Starkey stresses the role played by
Heir,
personality in Tudor politics.
Heretic,
Illegitimate,
Queen Regnant, He thinks that Elizabeth’s personality,
Renaissance,
which was shaped by her upbringing,
Treason
Anne Boleyn molding her time as Queen.

HENRY VIII ANNE BOLEYN EDWARD VI MARY I

Father Mother Brother Sister
CHALLENGE: Who do you think would have the biggest impact on Elizabeth’s
personality?
 Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in preparing her for being
Queen?
Accession,
Court,
Dynasty, TASK:
Heir,
Heretic,
Illegitimate, Read through the information about the key people and
Queen Regnant, aspects of Elizabeth’s life.
Renaissance,
Treason
Anne Boleyn Write down 2 ways each of those would have impacted her
personality or future rule as queen.

EXAMPLE
Key facts What impact would this have on
Elizabeth?
• Anne Boleyn was a protestant sympathizer who
MOTHER: Anne Boleyn

introduced Henry to lots of Protestant books.

• She was one of the reasons that Henry broke
with Rome (broke away from the Catholic
church) because he wanted to marry her.
• She was executed when Elizabeth was 2 for
treason and witchcraft.
• This resulted in Elizabeth being declared a
bastard.

CHALLENGE: Do you think she was more positively or negatively impacted by her
experiences growing up?
 Key facts What impact would this have on Elizabeth?

• Anne Boleyn was a protestant sympathizer who introduced Henry to lots of

MOTHER: Anne Protestant books.
• She was one of the reasons that Henry broke with Rome (broke away from the
Catholic church) because he wanted to marry her.
• She was executed when Elizabeth was 2 for treason and witchcraft.
• This resulted in Elizabeth being declared a bastard.
Boleyn

• Broke with Rome to marry Elizabeth’s mother, Anne.

• Had wanted a son, but instead had Elizabeth.
• Executed Elizabeth’s mother when Elizabeth was 2 years old
The Second Act of Succession saw Elizabeth declared illegitimate.
FATHER: Henry VIII

•
• Henry had Elizabeth brought up in royal residences, despite rarely seeing her
father.
• Henry’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr, influenced Elizabeth’s Protestant views
• A Third Act of Succession in 1544 restored Elizabeth as an heir to the throne,
Family

but only after Edward and Mary.

• When he became King, Edward became aloof and arrogant and was a
SIBLING: Edward

staunch protestant.
• During Edwards reign, Thomas Seymour began a serious flirtation between
Elizabeth and himself. It was suggested that Thomas had plotted with Elizabeth
to overthrow Edward. Seymour was accused of treason and executed in 1549.
The episode was humiliating or Elizabeth.
IV

• On the ascension of Mary to the throne, Elizabeth and Mary and Elizabeth
rode through the streets of London together.
• Mary was strongly Catholic and known as ‘Bloody Mary’ because of her
SIBLING: Mary I

treatments of Protestants.
• Mary’s mother had been ‘divorced’ by Henry VIII because of Elizabeth’s
mother.
• Suspected of plotting against Mary, Elizabeth was locked in the Tower of
London for 2 months.
• Elizabeth was kept under house arrest for some time after.

• Elizabeth was given a brilliant education, initially taught by Kat Ashley, who
became a lifelong friend.
• She was influenced by Cambridge scholar, Roger Asham
EDUCATION

• She was taught a modern and advanced education that was influenced by
the Renaissance.
• She was good at history and enjoyed poetry.
• She spoke French, Italian, Spanish and Latin fluently.
 Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in preparing her for being
Queen?
Accession,
Court, “Elizabeth had undergone a useful apprenticeship in the art of
Dynasty, politics, but the skills she learned were necessarily derived
Heir,
from from her own circumstances of extreme vulnerability. She had
Heretic,
Illegitimate, developed, of immobility, of playing as few cards as possible,
Queen Regnant, waiting and hoping on events. She was yet to learn the skills
Renaissance, required for the exercise of rulership – making decisions, giving
Treason commands, and ensuring the commands were obeyed… Elizabeths
Anne Boleyn experience was very limited.”

From Elizabeth by W. MacCaffrey, 1993

What is MacCaffrey saying about Elizabeth?

Apprenticeship:
education
TASK: Stick the source in the middle of your page. Using
Immobility:
unmoving
the words on the left, translate what MacCaffrey is
saying.
Playing as few cards
as possible: Not
getting too involved
“…undergone a
useful She has been
Rulership: To be
apprenticeship educated in
queen politics
in the art of
politics” (government)

CHALLENGE: How accurate is his assessment of Elizabeth?

 Key words: How important was Elizabeth’s upbringing and character in preparing her for being
Queen?
Accession,
Court,
Dynasty,
Heir,
Heretic,
Elizabeth’s tense relationship
Illegitimate, with Mary continued until Mary’s
Queen Regnant, death. Mary had refused, for a
Renaissance,
Treason
long time,to name an heir to her
Anne Boleyn throne.

However, a few days before her

death Mary declared Elizabeth
to be her heir, providing she rule
the country as a Catholic
leader.

Messengers rode to St James’

Palace in Hatfield to inform
Elizabeth of her sister’s death
and ascension to the throne.

She was crowned Queen in

Westminster Abbey on the 15th
January 1559.

CHALLENGE: Why did Mary leave the throne to her sister and not a true
Catholic?
 Key words:

Accession,
Explain what was important about Elizabeth’s
Court,
Dynasty,
experiences before she became Queen (8
Heir,
Heretic,
marks).
Illegitimate,
Queen Regnant,
Renaissance, On thing that was important was..
Treason
Anne Boleyn
This was where…

This was important because...

CHALLENGE: Categorize the events into themes, such as religion, education…