Lead: Elizabeth I was one of England's most popular monarchs, but she found herself in almost constant conflict with Parliament. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: The English Parliament is the world's oldest. Emerging with the ancient Anglo-Saxon king's custom of gathering close advisors for consultation in the witan, Parliament grew in fits and starts into an integral part of English governance. It was not until the 1500s that Parliament moved much beyond its traditional role of rubber stamp for the king's wishes with occasional cat fights over taxes. Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, however, used Parliament in important new ways to drum up support for his foreign policy, but most especially the English Reformation. By Parliamentary statute, Roman Catholicism was removed from England and millions of acres of church property were confiscated by the Crown. Therefore, by Elizabeth's time Parliament had grown rather accustomed to this new broadened role in national life. Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [5.91 KB] Share
