In Tudor times most important
decisions concerning government were made by the king or queen and
a small group of advisers called the Privy Council. However, before
these decisions became law, they had to be passed by Parliament.
Parliament was the House
of Lords and the House of Commons.
The House of Lords was made up of about sixty Bishops, Dukes, Earls
and Barons. It was unusual for members of the House of Lords to criticise
the king's policies. If they did so, they were in danger of being
stripped of their titles.
Members of the House of
Commons were more independent as they were sometimes elected by the
people who lived in the area they represented. However, very few people
had the vote and in many cases the largest landowner in the area decided
who went to Parliament.
Henry
VIII was in favour of holding regular Parliaments. When Henry
was in conflict with the Pope in Rome, he claimed that the votes taken
in Parliament showed he enjoyed the support of the English people.
When Mary
Tudor became queen she tried very hard to make sure she had a
pro-Catholic House of Commons. Mary sent
out instructions to the sheriffs (they organised the elections) pointing
out who she wanted to be elected.
Elizabeth
held fewer Parliaments than her father. On average, she held a Parliament
once every four years. Elizabeth made it clear that members of the
House of Commons had complete freedom of speech. However, she believed
that certain issues such as religion or foreign policy were best left
to her and her Privy Council.
Elizabeth became angry
when Parliament asked her to get married. In 1571 Elizabeth made a
speech to Parliament in which she told them they had no right to discuss
issues that directly affected her.
On thirty-six occasions
Elizabeth vetoed laws passed by Parliament. For example, in 1585 Parliament
passed a bill that banned hunting, cock-fighting and bear-baiting
from taking place on Sunday. Elizabeth believed that people had the
right to enjoy themselves on their one day of rest and refused to
allow the bill to become law.
Henry VIII
visiting Parliament in 1512.
(1)
Letter from Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor to the mayor of Canterbury
(1536)
Proceed to a new election... and elect the two men named
in this letter... The King expects you to do this... avoid his Highness's
displeasure, at your peril.
(2)
The Spanish Ambassador went on a Royal Progress with Elizabeth
in 1568.
The Queen
ordered her carriage... to be taken where the crowd seemed thickest,
and stood up and talked to the people.
(3)
Count Feria, report to Philip
II of Spain (1559)
Queen Elizabeth has control in a way never seen before in
previous parliaments.
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