Elizabeth s Council s Attitude - 2063 Words

The argument has been put forth that Elizabeth failed to marry due to her council’s attitude. While her council played a vital role, they weren’t the only contributing factor; unsuitable candidates and the political advantage that came with negotiations also resulted in her failure to marry. Elizabeth was ultimately in control of the matches, however relied on the support provided by her councillors. Doran puts forward the view that the Queen failed to marry as a result of the council’s attitude towards her suitors, as she writes, â€Å"without strong conciliar backing Elizabeth would not or could not marry a particular candidate. † This appears to be valid when it is remembered that Elizabeth attempted to replace some of the council with†¦show more content†¦Indeed, it has been suggested the content of John Stubbs’ publication against the match was influenced by Leicester and Walsingham, as it coincided with Privy Council debates. However the validity of this is questionable as the tone of the pamphlets is different from council discussions, and as Streitberger writes, it was â€Å"filled with hysterical Puritan rhetoric and virulent xenophobia .† Furthermore Cecil, as Haigh writes, was â€Å"well placed to manipulate Elizabeth ,† he would raise issues with her depending on her mood, and would massage information for his own purposes, this can be seen from the fact that Cecil sabotaged the Queen’s match with Dudley by whipping up an anti-papal scare, destroying any support Phillip II had for the marriage. Similarly, with negotiations over the marriage to Archduke Charles, anxieties over religion arose and Robert Dudley as a council member urged Elizabeth to reject the suit. It is credible to assume Elizabeth wished for encouragement and support from her council, and an assurance that they would stand behind her if faced with public opposition. Overall, the attitude of the council and its members did play a large role in Elizabeth’s failure to marry. It can be argued that Elizabeth did have intentions to marry, however was prevented from doing so as her suitors never matched all of her