Government of Renaissance England

Monarchies were the most common forms of government during the Renaissance

• The monarchy was most likely run by a Royal Family, meaning that the throne was hereditary and passed down from (preferably) eldest son to eldest son, although this was not always the case.

• In an Absolute Monarchy, the King or Queen maintains control of all aspects of their nation. They have the final word on all matters and are not disputed.

Most Absolute Monarchs maintained that they had the Divine Right of Kings: Meaning that God himself had chosen the family to do his bidding.

• Many Monarchies were actually a collection of states united under a common crown. This was the case with England during Shakespeare's life.

Because of this enemy countries with common Catholic religion, such as Spain, viewed "English" Ireland as an important ally against the rest of the nation.

Later, Ireland would divide into the independent Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland which remained loyal to England.

For Example:

Henry VII asks the Pope to annull his marraige to Catherine of Aragon when she will not bear him a male heir to the throne. The Pope refuses and so Henry creates the Church of England, a Protestant church, with him at its head. He annulled his own marraige and married Anne Boleyn, mother of Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth I's Catholic half sister, Mary I takes the throne after a short reign by Henry's son, and in a radical move takes away the Church of England and makes Catholicism the national religion. This unrests many of the English people after they had just settled into the Protestant lifestyle.

Elizabeth I takes the throne after Mary dies and again shakes things up in England by reinstituting the Church of England and declaring Protestant the national religion with her at the top of the heirarchy. She was however sympathetic toward Catholics and was fairly lenient with them. However, though the people of England are more suportive of Elizabth's move than Mary's, the religious Had gone through quite a spin.

These checks and balances on the monarch make for a happier, more represented...

Queen Elizabeth I was England's monarch during a great deal of Shakespeare's life. Elizabeth was one of the few female monarchs to hold power.

Limited Monarchy

England was an Absolute Monarchy until the creation of the Magna Carta (Great Charter) in 1215, which limited the power of the Monarch by creating Parliament, forcing him to follow his own laws, and having him renounce his Divine Right.

Royalty

England

Now

1564

In a standard Monarchy there are no boudairies for it's rulers. However, with a Limited Monarchy there is an improtant body that separates the garbage of the Monarch's decisions from those that are truly best for the nation. That body is...

England

Wales

Ireland

Scotland

Scotland, located north of England remained a separate entity during Elizabeth's reign, but would later be conquered by join the nation.

England is the British homeland, and is the area located on the main island in the British Isles. England is the home of London, the capitol of the nation.

Ireland is a separate island farther west of Wales. A part of Elizabeth's domain, it was largely Catholic, which contradicted the Protestant Church of England, which Elizabeth had named the national religion.

Wales is an area to the west of England and although it was a part of the nation during Elizabeth's reign it maintained a separate language and culture from the rest of the state.

THE FILTER: Representative Institutions

In England's case: Parliament

Monarch

House of Commons

House of Lords

The House of Commons on the other hand is a body of eleced officials with representatives for each area of England. Unfortunately, during Elizabethan times, the people who were elected to the House of Commons were typically more upper class citizens than the "common man," because those in the upper class were the most revered.

The House of Lords is one of the two representative bodies in Parliament. The House of Lords contain members of the Aristocracy, or in other words, all the rich landowners and their descendents. Although they are not elected they are "native" to a certain area of England and can offer valuable insight into the happennings of the area.

Sources

Parliament

Together the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and the Monarch make Parliament. The two houses effetively filter the trash of a corrupted Monarch by performing their responsibilities:

• Making Laws
• Changing Laws
• Limiting the Monarch's ability to tax the people

Land

Loans

Taxes

The Monarch could also take loans from the many banks across the country and the rest of Europe.

And of course, as with all governments, the Monarch had the option to raise the taxes on the people. Taxes are usually the primary source of revenue for the Treasury.

Property could be sold by the Monarch to raise funds for the Royal Treasury. The land was either owned by the Crown, or as was the case during Shakespeare's time, it was land seized by government from the Catholic Church in England, after the Church of England was named the national church.

People

Treasury

The Royal Treasury is where all the raised funds are placed after they are acquired. The Treasury is run by the Monarch who spends the money on the many costly responsibilities of the government.

Government

Wars

Patronage

Construction

War was a major expense of the Monarch. When the nation was at war most of the revenue from sources were expended in this area.

Monarchies were large governing bodies with many committees and employees, not to mention the many government buildings and royal palaces that needed constant maintenance. So a Monarchy is a very expensive form of government, and a large portion of government revenue goes toward sustaining itself.

The Renaissance was a time of building and rebuilding all over Europe, not just in England. Complex and expensive structures began popping up all over Europe, and the funds for these ventures often came from the Royal Treasury. This was another way for a Monarch to illustrate their wealth to their people and those of neighboring nations.

One of the responsibilities of a Monarch is to show the wealth of their crown and improve their public opinion by being a patron of the arts. Monarchs would throw lavish parties and financially support artists, musicians, and poets like Shakespeare.

Expenditures

MONEY

Religion and Government were very close in a Monarchy

Monarchy

The Government of Renaissance England