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5. Trouble Years and the Birth of an Expected Friendship, 1584-88

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the difficulties experienced by Elizabeth I of England and Henry III of France in the period 1584-88, and the unexpected friendship that arose out of it, focusing in particular on: (i) the succession crisis in France, prompted by the death of the Francis, Duke of Anjou and the possibility that a Protestant, Henry of Navarre, might succeed to the throne; (ii) the Catholic threat to Elizabeth I in this period, including the Throckmorton Plot (1583) and the Babington Plot (1586); (iii) the isolation of Henry III on the international stage, and his increasing unpopularity within France itself; (iv) Elizabeth’s support for Henry after the Day of Barricades (May 1588), and the reasons for her support; and (v) Henry’s lack of support for Elizabeth during the Spanish Armada (July 1588), and the reasons for his lack of support.

Course

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.

Lecturer

Dr Estelle Paranque is Lecturer in Early Modern History at the New College of the Humanities in London. The main focus of her research is Elizabeth I and her relations with France, though she also has a more general interest in Anglo-French relations during the sixteenth century, monarchical representations in Europe, and the Valois kings. Her most recent book, Elizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes: Power, Representation and Diplomacy in the Reign of the Queen, 1558-1588 (2019) focuses on the perception of Elizabeth I of England by the French royal family and their ambassadors from 1568 to 1588.