Synopses & Reviews
Traditionally historians have argued that the court of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was factional, divided among competing subjects who were manipulated by their Queen. This book provides a different account: of councilors who were united by two connected dangers, namely Catholic opposition to Protestant England and Elizabeth's refusal to marry or to settle England's succession. Working from the papers of the Queen's secretary, William Cecil, the author has set this crisis in the context of events in Scotland, Ireland and mainland Europe, and has explored fully the long-term political impact of this succession crisis in the 1560s.
Review
"The book's clear language, topic, and use of sources should appeal to an audience of professional historians and upper-level undergraduates." Mary Hill Cole, History"Alford has written a very useful book..." American Historical Review"...this is a very good book....Alford makes an important contribution to our understanding of how the political thought of the mid-sixteenth century shaped early Elizabethan policy." Norman Jones, Albion
Synopsis
A revisionary account of the so-called 'succession crisis' in the first decade of the reign of Elizabeth I.
Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. William Cecil and early Elizabethan political culture; 2. The politics of Britain and the development of the British succession crisis, 1558-1559; 3. Anglo-British negotiations for a settlement, 1560-1563; 4. New Tudor politics and the domestic impact of the succession issue, 1560-1563; 5. The Darnley marriage and weaknesses in the Elizabethan polity, 1564-1566; 6. Cecil, parliament, and the succession, 1566-1567; 7. Cecil's proposal for the settlement of Britain, 1567-1568; 8. The crisis of 1569 and an alternative remedy; Conclusion: the early Elizabethan polity; Appendices; Bibliography.