ABSTRACT
Elizabeth was twenty-five years old when she came to the throne and had no experience of governing. She left the day-to-day administration of her realm in the hands of the Privy Council, and rarely attended its meetings. Mary's Council, which had had some thirty active members, was too large for efficient functioning. Elizabeth reduced the number to just under twenty and during the course of her reign its size fluctuated between twelve and eighteen. Magnates played a significant role in the Elizabethan Council. The older nobility were represented by Lords Arundel and Clinton, along with the Earls of Shrewsbury and Derby who occasionally attended meetings but were primarily concerned with their local power bases. Office holders formed another key element in the Council. Some of the major ones were peers: Clinton, for instance, was Lord Admiral, and the Marquis of Winchester continued as Lord Treasurer until his death in 1572.
