Topic Summaries for the AQA GCSE Queen Elizabeth in depth study course for paper 2. These summaries are perfect for revision as they concisely summarise all key facts and figures on the course; I got a 9 with them! :)
Topic summary: Rebellions against Elizabeth
Northern Rebellion 1569:
Dukes of Norfolk, Northumberland and Westmoreland wanted to replace Elizabeth with catholic Mary queen of
scots. An army of about 4500 men captured Durham cathedral and burned protestant prayer books and held a
catholic mass.
They then marched south in an attempt to get Mary out of house arrest, Elizabeth moved her further away and an
army disbanded the northern rebels.
Norfolk was arrested, Westmoreland fled to France and died and Northumberland fled to Scotland and was executed.
Essex Rebellion 1601:
Robert Devereux earl of Essex was the queen’s favourite until he made a truce with Ireland against Elizabeth’s
wishes.
He then entered the queens chamber without permission and saw her without her wig Elizabeth was angered and
stopped his monopoly on sweet wines causing him financial ruin
He wanted to gain back power and remove his rival Robert Cecil from court, he took 4 privy councillors hostage and
marched through the streets of London
However his supporters didn’t turn against the queen and left him so his rebellion failed and he was executed on the
25th February 1601 at the tower of London as a traitor.
Ridolfi Plot 1571:
Duke of Norfolk and Roberto Ridolfi (Italian banker and spy for the pope) tried to replace Elizabeth with Mary queen
of scots.
Pope commanded all Catholics to disobey Elizabeth, choose between religion and queen.
The Netherlands (catholic) would invade England at the same time as northern rebellion
Elizabeth’s spies intercepted a coded letter and cracked the code when they found the cypher under Norfolk’s
doormat. He was executed on 2 June 1572
Throckmorton plot 1583:
Led by sir Francis Throckmorton, the plan was to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with her cousin Mary queen
of scots
Once killed, there would be a French invasion and uprising from English Catholics. The plot also involved the Spanish
ambassador. The plot was discovered and Throckmorton executed.
Babington plot 1586:
Plot was hatched by 6 men including Anthony Babington, aimed to kill Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of
Scots who was in house arrest.
He wrote coded letters to her and got a deliverer to store them in a bung of a beer barrel however he was actually a
double agent and copied the letters out and gave them to Francis Walsingham
He gave the letter to a decoder who used frequency analysis to break the code
This incriminated Mary as she agreed to the plot. This letter was known as the gallows letter.
She was beheaded and Babington confessed and was hung, drawn and quartered.
Rebellions failed because there was limited desire for change as Elizabeth had the best settlements of all the Tudors, there
was also so many spies and such bad punishments no one could, religious settlements were the best they had been.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller scurrell36. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
