What Was the Situation in Terms of Religious Faith in England 1558-1603 and how Did Central Government Attempt to Change This Situation?

Elizabeth I succeeded the throne of England in 1558 and became Queen to a nation that had previously undergone 25 years of religious turmoil and change. The national Catholicism of her father, Henry VIII had been replaced by Protestant religious reforms during her brother, Edward VI's reign. These changes were then followed by Mary I's attempts to re-establish Catholicism in England after his death. When Elizabeth ascended the throne it seemed clear and inevitable that she would introduce reforms in favour of Protestantism. This view was supported in that Catholic Europe regarded her as a…