A New Queen of England, 1558-61

The Tudors – Elizabeth I and France, 1558-88

In this course, Dr Estelle Paranque (New College of the Humanities) explores the reign of Elizabeth I through the eyes of the French monarchy. In the first module, we think about the French perception of Elizabeth at the very beginning of her reign, before turning into the second and third modules to explore the various marriage negotiations that took place between France and England in the period 1564-81. In the fourth module, we think about the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de’ Medici, before turning in the fifth module to explore the unexpected friendship that arose between Elizabeth and Henry III of France. Finally, in the sixth module, we explore French perceptions of Elizabeth’s support for Protestants on the Continent, and the extent to which this undermined relations with the (Catholic) French monarchy.

A New Queen of England, 1558-61

In this module, we think about Elizabeth’s relations with France at the very beginning of her reign, focusing in particular on: (i) the difference between the Anglo-centric view of Elizabeth and the view we get from the French sources; (ii) Elizabeth’s desire to maintain friendly relations with France in this period, especially in light of the rapid ascent of Spain; (iii) the tensions between France, England and Scotland in this period, particularly the issues surrounding the figure of Mary, Queen of Scots; (iv) Elizabeth’s anger at Mary, Queen of Scots’ claims to be the rightful queen of England; and (v) the need for an alliance between England and France, but the lack of trust between the two crowns.