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When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 her people were divided by religion. Since the reign of Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father, religion had been a point of conflict. In order to marry Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, Henry had divorced Catherine of Aragon which meant that Catholics did not see Elizabeth as a rightful queen. They believed that Henry had been lawfully married to Catherine of Aragon when Elizabeth had been born. Her sister, Mary, had made Roman Catholicism the official religion of the country, but most of the people were Protestant. There was also a growing number of Puritans. Elizabeth had to find a compromise to try to bring together these different groups and ease religious tensions.

What was the Religious Settlement?

When Elizabeth had come to the throne in 1558 she sought a ‘middle way’ between Catholics and Protestants. To ensure this the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559 was deliberately vague and gave little mention of liturgy (the way religion should be practised). This meant that as long as the people recognised Elizabeth’s supremacy (authority) over the Church and at least followed the new prayer book they were safe. It held the same structure as the Catholic Church in that bishops retained responsibility for the organisation, administration and supervision of the church and its clergy.

Revision tip: You will not be asked questions on religion before 1580 but you should be aware of the Religious Settlement and the way Elizabeth controlled her people.