Queen Elizabeth Absolutism

Queen Elizabeth came into power under somewhat unique circumstances. She was placed in charge of an England which was changing both religiously and socially. The England which she ruled was like no other that came before it, in large part due to her father. Not only did Elizabeth have to face a Protestant England, she also had to deal with the growing prominence of the gentry, a parliament with increased validity, and dwindling royal funds. In addition to the changes which the country was undergoing she was also forced to navigate a traditionally patriarchal society. She dealt with these changes by leaning on the side of conservatism in most matters. As a ruler she did little to change England as a country; rather she attempted to keep everything

as static as possible. Her reign was as uneventful as she could make it, but due to the various circumstances surrounding her rule even this took a great deal of effort on her part.
The state of England upon Elizabeth's ascension to the throne may have been exaggerated for propaganda purposes, however it still placed her at a disadvantage to rule. Mary's disastrous tenure as a queen placed Elizabeth at an intersection of issues related to both her religion and her gender. In the case of religion the contrast between her Protestantism and Mary's devout Catholic tendencies worked to her advantage. However, England was still not particularly accepting of a female ruler, and several criticisms of Mary's rule made this clear. Elizabeth's gender was threat to her authority. Not only did it provide a source of derision for the common people, her sex also allowed her council to undermine her rulings. In order to be taken seriously as a ruler Elizabeth had to utilize the favor of the court as well as the public to a much deeper extent than her father.
Elizabeth maintained power by nurturing a carefully cultivated image throughout her rule. She utilized a sort of duality in her behavior in order to manipulate how she was perceived as well as how others behaved in relation to her. To her people she managed to be both aloof and personable. She managed this by promoting an image of herself as a sort of matronly figure, someone who cared for all of England's citizens. She regularly paraded through London, and went on progresses through the countryside. She listened to the complaints of commoners during these outings and treated them affectionately. She also regularly donated to the poor. Word of her good deeds were relentlessly publicized throughout Britain, giving her a reign a sort of “personal touch”. At the same time she represented an ideal, a protector of the church as well as an enforcer of God's will in England. This elevation to a semi-mythological figure was largely due to propaganda. Prior to her coronation pamphlets which denounced chaotic state of the nation were distributed. Following her crowning she was proclaimed as the savior of England, destined to guide the people into an era of greatness and prosperity, she would be the shepherd of a new age. Language was utilized well into her reign. She had portraits of herself carefully regulated in order to ensure that she was drawn youthfully. Ballads were written celebrating her virtues. She was essentially the nation of England rendered flesh. For a good deal of her rule, this strategy was successful and she was both a deity and a mother to England.
To her court, Elizabeth managed to be both a lady and a ruler.
In a role similar to that which she had among the commoners she acted as both among and above the nobles. However, while her familiarity with the common people was meant to garner general support, her role among the nobles was a more directly manipulative one. She engaged with them on a much more personal level which allowed her to enforce their behavior more strictly. The rituals of the court were centered around her, and nobles competed for her favor through exaggerated gestures of loyalty. The approval of the queen could translate to political power as well as increased standing, so it was very sought after. The rituals of court allowed the queen to exercise control over her council as well. The image of the court was also carefully maintained, Elizabeth made sure her fashion as well as that of those around her were extravagant. Court served as a sign of her status among both domestic and foreign nobility.
Elizabeth bore some similarity to her father, the two of them were strong-willed and viewed their authority as absolute. However, what was considered gravitas in Henry was viewed as mere shrillness in Elizabeth. Members of her council saw her refusals as temporary blocks rather than as absolute. Both Elizabeth and Henry wanted to ensure a sort of stability. In order to avoid a second War of the Roses Henry attempted to ensure the continuation of the Tudor dynasty by conceiving a male heir. To do so he instituted a series of institutional changes throughout England- which lead to the overall elevation of the gentry, completely cut ties with the with the pope, and executed four of his wives. Unlike her father, Elizabeth could not change policy to such an extent. Her way of ruling didn't allow for such drastic measures, and she was didn't call upon Parliament often. Rather, she attempted to maintain stability through the use of her public image as well as through her courtly engagements.
Elizabeth's gender also affected matters of succession.

Henry viewed marriage and children as a way to secure his dynasty as well as the future of England whereas to Elizabeth they were potential traps, which could provide more methods with which to undermine her authority. Any potential husband may attempt to rule in her stead, and justify taking such action using her gender. Others realized this as well, and the combined pressure from her council and the people often prevented her from marrying eligible suitors. Her indiscretions were viewed much more harshly as well. Henry's affairs were par for the course; Elizabeth's entanglements provided fodder for criticism in harsher times, and lead to the public viewing her as an eccentric fool during the last years of her rule. The church also played much different roles in their romantic lives. In Henry's case Protestantism provided him with the means to divorce his first wife and pursue relationships with reproductively viable partners. Elizabeth's image as the defender of the Church of England lead to her being lauded as a “virgin queen”. This perception of her as the embodiment of Protestant ideals was intertwined with the rest of her public image; marrying would destroy her painstakingly maintained public persona and place her power in a precarious position. Elizabeth's gender played a large role in her more cautious ruling style. She couldn't rock the boat as often as her father did, in case she ended up tipping it

over.
A great deal of Elizabeth's success as a ruler was due to her pragmatic nature. She adapted well to the circumstances she was given, often playing her what others perceived to be her weaknesses to her advantage. She used traits typically associated with femininity and weakness to encourage loyalties among those she ruled, and her reluctance to marry ended up bolstering her public image. While her cautiousness may be thought of as a failing it allowed her to avoid being taken advantage of to the extent which many feared she would be. Her diminished income made progresses not only a useful method of While Elizabeth's policies may not have laid the ground for the future of the British nobility she managed to hold on to the crown for her entire life without being ousted, which was what she aimed to do.