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Like today, the Tudor
Parliament consisted of the House of Lords (the Upper House (and the House
of Commons (the Lower House). In the Lords sat the bishops and the aristocrats,
and in the commons sat the common people. Although elections were
held for the lower house, who was made a member of parliament depended
very much on who was supported by important people in the locality, and
elections were often rigged. Only those with a certain annual income could
vote, and only men. |
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The
main function of Parliament was to pass laws and grant the Queen money
when she needed it. However, the Queen could make laws without Parliament's
consent, in what were called ROYAL PROCLAMATIONS, if she wanted, and so
if for some reason she and the Privy Council could not get Parliament to
pass certain measures, they could resort to proclamations. Tudor monarchs
tended only to summon Parliament for major governmental reforms or for
money, and money was the main reason that Elizabeth summoned hers. Parliament
did not have anywhere near as much of the power it has today, and there
was no Prime minister or any political parties. It was up to the Queen
when a Parliament was called, and over the course of her long reign, she
only had ten Parliaments.
ELIZABETHAN PARLIAMENTS
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| 1559 |
25 January - 8 May |
| 1563-1567 |
12 January - 10
April 1563(i)
30 September 1566
- 2 January 1567 (ii) |
| 1571 |
2 April-29 May |
| 1572-1581 |
8 May - 30 June
1572
8 February -15 March
1576 |
| 1584-5 |
16 January - 18
March 1581
23 November 1584
- 23 March 1587 |
| 1586 -7 |
29 October 1586
- 23 March 1585 |
| 1589 |
4 February - 29
March |
| 1593 |
19 February - 10
April |
| 1597-8 |
24 October 1597
- 9 February 1598 |
| 1601 |
17 October - 19
December |
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Monarch
~ Privy
Council
Contents
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