What Was the Threat to Elizabeth I? Elizabeth I’S Life Was Constantly in Danger

What Was the Threat to Elizabeth I? Elizabeth I’s life was constantly in danger. Without an heir, the throne could easily be snatched by an assassin’s knife and taken by Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scots. There were hundreds of attempts and plots on Elizabeth’s life, below are just some of them. Can you determine the key characteristics of these threats and if there are any common themes?

Somerville John Somerville was a Catholic from Warwickshire. He had been stirred up Barge Incident by anti-Elizabeth propaganda created and distributed by a growing Jesuit Elizabeth was nearly assassinated whilst travelling on a barge on the river (Catholic) presence in the country. Thames in London in 1571. Somerville wanted to “see her head on a pole, for she was a serpent and a One of her guards was shot with the arrow and she promised him he would viper” and boasted of his intent publicly. want for nothing as he had saved her life. Somerville was tracked down, arrested and sentenced to death in 1583.

Northern Uprising Ridolfi Plot This was an unsuccessful uprising in 1569 of many Catholic Lords from the Roberto Ridolfi was a Florentine banker and an agent of the Pope’s. He acted as North of England to rise up against Queen Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots. a go-between for Spain and the Duke of Norfolk. The Duke of Norfolk aimed to marry Mary Queen of Scots, assassinate Queen Elizabeth and put Mary on the The uprising was quashed by Elizabeth’s many troops, but some leaders escaped throne as Catholic Queen. Ridolfi funded the plot and organised with Spain in the to Scotland. Overall, 600 people were killed in reprisals for the uprising and the event of Elizabeth’s death, a Spanish invasion of England! Catholics in the North Catholic aristocracy of the North was weakened. of England would rebel at the same time. Pope Pius V issued a papal bull deposing her in 1570 to try and help further The secret service headed by Sir Francis Walsingham uncovered the plot in uprisings. This gave Catholics the permission to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, 1571 and it collapsed. The Duke of Norfolk was executed and Ridolfi was which meant all Catholics could be an enemy. exiled. Elizabeth never trusted her cousin Mary again.

Parry The Throckmorton Plot Dr William Parry was a Welsh MP who decided to kill Elizabeth. He hid in the Francis Throckmorton was a Catholic who was involved in several plots against Queen’s garden at Richmond Palace and planned to assassinate her with a Elizabeth. In 1583, he plotted to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with knife. However, once he saw Elizabeth, Parry didn’t go through with his plan Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. as he was “so haunted with the majesty of her presence in which he saw the Throckmorton acted as a go-between for Mary Queen of Scots, her agent image of her father, King Henry VIII”. Thomas Morgan and the Spanish Ambassador Don Bernadinode Mendoza. The Parry never told of his reason for wanting to kill Elizabeth, he had no links to secret service discovered the plot and arrested Throckmorton. any other plots or other assassins. There were theories he was acting on behalf Under torture, Throckmorton revealed the Duke of Guise was planning to of Mary Queen of Scots but there is no evidence of this. invade England from the Spanish Netherlands. Parry was sentenced to death in 1585. Throckmorton was executed at Tyburn and Mendoza sent back to Spain.

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