CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
England 1558–1603
Elizabeth I's character, inheritance and the succession question
- 3 things to know
- A2 Unit 2
Overview
The experiences that formed her, the debts and the war she inherited, and the pressure to marry and name a successor.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why was Elizabeth I's birth a political weakness at her accession?
Why was Elizabeth imprisoned in 1554?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
When did Elizabeth I become queen?
Model answer
Elizabeth I succeeded on 17 November 1558 on the death of her half-sister Mary I.
- 2
Why was Elizabeth I's birth a political weakness at her accession?
Model answer
Anne Boleyn had been executed for treason and her marriage declared void, so Catholics who still recognised Henry VIII's first marriage regarded Elizabeth as illegitimate and her title as defective.
- 3
How did Elizabeth I's education shape her as a ruler?
Model answer
Elizabeth I received a humanist education under tutors including Roger Ascham and could read and speak Latin, French and Italian, so she could deal with foreign ambassadors without an interpreter and draft her own speeches.
- 4
What did the Thomas Seymour affair of 1548–49 teach the young Elizabeth?
Model answer
The scandal taught Elizabeth to guard her reputation and to give nothing away under questioning, and her cool denials meant no charge could be fastened on her.
- 5
Why was Elizabeth imprisoned in 1554?
Model answer
Elizabeth was suspected of complicity in Wyatt's rebellion and was held in the Tower and then under guard at Woodstock, although nothing was ever proved against her.
- 6
State Elizabeth I's personal motto and explain what it advertised.
Model answer
Elizabeth I's motto was 'semper eadem', meaning always the same, which advertised constancy and stability after two decades of religious upheaval.
Other ways to work this
The same content, four other ways.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Every question in England 1558–1603, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.