Elizabethan England / 1559
Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity
These laws gave Elizabeth control of the church and made worship more uniform.
What To Remember
- The Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor and required an oath of loyalty.
- The Act of Uniformity set out the English prayer book, church attendance, and rules for worship.
- Royal Injunctions added extra instructions, including control over preaching and church decoration.
Act of Supremacy
Elizabeth was the head of the Church in England, not the Pope, so religious authority moved back to the crown.
Clergy and royal officials had to swear loyalty to her, which linked religious obedience with loyalty to the monarchy.
This mattered because it made disobedience in religion look like disobedience to the queen herself.
Act of Uniformity and Royal Injunctions
Everyone had to use the new English prayer book and attend church regularly on Sundays and holy days.
Churches could still have some decoration, and priests were told what they could wear and say, but the rules pushed worship in a Protestant direction.
Royal Injunctions added detail by controlling preaching and church behaviour, so the settlement could be enforced in parish life.
Revision Prompt
What did the acts change about church life?