caused rivalry and bit-
terness at times, but it was also a way for the monarch to keep his or her staff
on their toes. In the reign of Elizabeth, for example, much of the discussion
was about the queen's marriage and a number of courtiers put themselves for-
ward as potential husbands.
Over the Tudor period, the role of the Chamber changed:
Henry VII set up a Privy (personal) Chamber of new men � servants from
relatively humble backgrounds � and dealt with his noble and gentleman
attendants separately (see Chapter 2).
Henry VIII modelled his Privy Chamber on that of the French king,
Henry's rival Francis I. The men in his Chamber were his hunting and
drinking cronies but he trusted them to carry out delicate diplomatic
missions.
Edward VI was too young to govern by himself and the closest advisers
he had were his tutors. The Privy Chamber lost its central role.
Mary and Elizabeth's accessions changed the whole set-up. Ladies in
waiting became important, but women, apart from the queen, couldn't
get involved in politics, so they tended to work on Mary and Elizabeth to
get promotions and favours for their men folk.
For more on the Privy Chamber, see the nearby sidebar `Being privy to the
Privy Chamber'.
Counting the councils
The royal Council was the fore-runner of today's Cabinet. Its members were
the great secretaries of state who advised monarchs on any matter they
considered important. We meet these advisers close up and personal in this
book, men like . . . Chapter 1: Touring the Time of the Tudors 15
Francis Walsingham
Robert Dudley
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Seymour
Thomas Wolsey
William Cecil
. . . and many more.
But councils also existed for the North and for Wales and the West. At local
level, the government was carried out by lords lieutenants of counties
appointed by the monarch and landowners acting as justices of the peace.
The lords lieutenants:
Acted as judges in local cases
Called out the militia (part time soldiers) in case of invasion or other
emergency
Collected taxes
Kings and queens weren't bound to take the advice of their councillors. As
long as men like Wolsey and Cromwell got the job done for Henry VIII, they
were fine. But if the advisers failed, they could not only be fired but also exe-
cuted. But despite the risks of the job, some advisers were very close to their
employer: Robert Dudley was Elizabeth's lover, and Francis Walsingham died
bankrupt having spent so much of his own money to keep Elizabeth safe.
Being privy to the Privy Chamber The Privy Chamber was run by the chief gentle- worked hard to push her image as Gloriana and man or gentlewoman and was a showcase for the virgin queen, the Chamber was for court- the monarch. Under Henry VIII it was all about ship, music and poetry mixed with the harder tournaments and lavish entertainments with realities of exploring the world in her name and French or Spanish fashions the order of the keeping her safe from assassination. Under day. Under the dour Catholic Mary, it all got a each of the monarchs the Privy Chamber was bit heavy, with prayers, masses and constant also a marriage market and the main way for discussions and gossip about the queen's two kings and queens to keep in touch with the men phantom pregnancies. Under Elizabeth, who who actually ran the country at a local level.
16 Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors
Taking in Tudor Beliefs
In 1500 the English had a great reputation for piety. They went to mass,
which was held in Latin, visited shrines like Thomas Becket's at Canterbury
Cathedral, paid priests to say prayers for the souls of the dead and, in the
case of the rich, left legacies to the Church in their wills.
But some people began to doubt the power of the priests and others resented
the Church's huge wealth (see later in this chapter and also Chapter 6). New
ideas of the Reformation were coming from Martin Luther in
terness at times, but it was also a way for the monarch to keep his or her staff
on their toes. In the reign of Elizabeth, for example, much of the discussion
was about the queen's marriage and a number of courtiers put themselves for-
ward as potential husbands.
Over the Tudor period, the role of the Chamber changed:
Henry VII set up a Privy (personal) Chamber of new men � servants from
relatively humble backgrounds � and dealt with his noble and gentleman
attendants separately (see Chapter 2).
Henry VIII modelled his Privy Chamber on that of the French king,
Henry's rival Francis I. The men in his Chamber were his hunting and
drinking cronies but he trusted them to carry out delicate diplomatic
missions.
Edward VI was too young to govern by himself and the closest advisers
he had were his tutors. The Privy Chamber lost its central role.
Mary and Elizabeth's accessions changed the whole set-up. Ladies in
waiting became important, but women, apart from the queen, couldn't
get involved in politics, so they tended to work on Mary and Elizabeth to
get promotions and favours for their men folk.
For more on the Privy Chamber, see the nearby sidebar `Being privy to the
Privy Chamber'.
Counting the councils
The royal Council was the fore-runner of today's Cabinet. Its members were
the great secretaries of state who advised monarchs on any matter they
considered important. We meet these advisers close up and personal in this
book, men like . . . Chapter 1: Touring the Time of the Tudors 15
Francis Walsingham
Robert Dudley
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Seymour
Thomas Wolsey
William Cecil
. . . and many more.
But councils also existed for the North and for Wales and the West. At local
level, the government was carried out by lords lieutenants of counties
appointed by the monarch and landowners acting as justices of the peace.
The lords lieutenants:
Acted as judges in local cases
Called out the militia (part time soldiers) in case of invasion or other
emergency
Collected taxes
Kings and queens weren't bound to take the advice of their councillors. As
long as men like Wolsey and Cromwell got the job done for Henry VIII, they
were fine. But if the advisers failed, they could not only be fired but also exe-
cuted. But despite the risks of the job, some advisers were very close to their
employer: Robert Dudley was Elizabeth's lover, and Francis Walsingham died
bankrupt having spent so much of his own money to keep Elizabeth safe.
Being privy to the Privy Chamber The Privy Chamber was run by the chief gentle- worked hard to push her image as Gloriana and man or gentlewoman and was a showcase for the virgin queen, the Chamber was for court- the monarch. Under Henry VIII it was all about ship, music and poetry mixed with the harder tournaments and lavish entertainments with realities of exploring the world in her name and French or Spanish fashions the order of the keeping her safe from assassination. Under day. Under the dour Catholic Mary, it all got a each of the monarchs the Privy Chamber was bit heavy, with prayers, masses and constant also a marriage market and the main way for discussions and gossip about the queen's two kings and queens to keep in touch with the men phantom pregnancies. Under Elizabeth, who who actually ran the country at a local level.
16 Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors
Taking in Tudor Beliefs
In 1500 the English had a great reputation for piety. They went to mass,
which was held in Latin, visited shrines like Thomas Becket's at Canterbury
Cathedral, paid priests to say prayers for the souls of the dead and, in the
case of the rich, left legacies to the Church in their wills.
But some people began to doubt the power of the priests and others resented
the Church's huge wealth (see later in this chapter and also Chapter 6). New
ideas of the Reformation were coming from Martin Luther in
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