Explain the motives for the Eliazabethan religious settlement

In 1558, Mary died and Elizabeth came to the trone of England. There are many factors which then led to the Elizabethan religious settlement including religious and personal reasons, however, Elizabeth's main notives were political.

POLITICAL - Fundamental reason

• Elizabeth had witnessed her family's previous failures when it came to enforcing either the protestant or catholic faith in the country.
• Elizabeth saw that she needed to appease both the Catholics and the Protestants - wanted to be Queen of the  English (not protestants)
• Wanted to remain Head of the Church (Act of Supremacy) but took title of Supreme Govenor to appease Catholics
• By remaining Head of the Church (with a different title), Elizabeth was able to gain a more powerful status - important as she was only a woman and only the 2nd Queen.
• Elizabeth also needed/wanted to appease foreign powerful Catholics - Spain.
• Franco-Scottish war still ongoing - England needed to remain allies with Spain in case of any attacks - Elizabeth needed to assure Spain the the CoE had not changed so much - avoid problems that Edward VI faced.

RELIGION

• Elizabeth was protestant by conviction.
• During the reigns of Edward and Mary, Elizabeth was seen as both an example of piety and a heretic at different points.
• Act of Uniformity (1559) - restored the second Edwardian prayerbook - in order to appease the Catholics, a few changes were made including making the text (transubstantiation) ambiguous for the communion - allowed for an understanding of the real presence of Christ. Also traditional vestments and ornaments were maintained at communion.
• Ordered that everyone must attend church on Sunday and other holy days.

PERSONAL

• Elizabeth was protestant by conviction - had her own private prayers.
• Her mother, Anne Boleyn, was protestant.
• The woman who raised her, Catherine Parr, was protestant.
• Both women would have greatly influenced Elizabeth, but they weren't the only close influence to Elizabeth.
• William Cecil, Elizabeth's personal secretary, was a protestant and would have advised her with a protestant perspective.

Ultimately, despite having been surrounded by protestant influence from the dominating figures in her life, Elizabeth's main motives for the religious settlement were political as she needed to appease both the Catholics and the Protestants in order to maintain a powerful rule and avoid problems similar to those that Henry, Edward and Mary faced during all of their reigns