ABSTRACT
It is probable that no one (including himself) expected the old Lord Treasurer to survive a second regime change. He had not been particularly close to Queen Mary, but on the other hand he had never made (as far as we know) any gesture of sympathy with Elizabeth, or of support for her. The Count of Feria had been about 50 per cent right when he had attempted to read Elizabeth's mind in mid-November, but even he had ventured no opinion on the Marquis of Winchester. Paulet was over 80 by this time and of an age when infirmity might reasonably have been expected to take over from ambition. Even the indefatigable Cuthbert Tunstall had slowed down almost to the point of stopping and was excused the long journey south for the parliament in January. 1 The marquis, however, was unbowed by either age or infirmity and seems to have been admitted to the new council almost at once. Elizabeth had had the time, during her sister's last illness, to decide the shape of her new regime. She had consulted Sir William Cecil, and probably Sir John Mason, but no other members of the existing Council, if Feria's report is to be believed. 2 Balance was a key issue. In her household she cleared out all Mary's intimates – particularly from the Privy Chamber – and filled the places with her own servants and kindred, notably Kate Ashley and Sir Thomas Parry. In her Council, on the other hand, she was careful to retain a number of prominent Marians. As early as 21st November Winchester, Shrewsbury and Derby were written to in terms which implied that their membership had been renewed, one of their functions being to balance the ‘new men’ such as Bacon, Bedford and Cecil. 3 Indeed Winchester must have been given the nod almost at once, because he had already written to the Queen about the arrangements for her late sister's interment, a ceremony for which he had apparently been given responsibility. His request for an advance of £3000 to pay the expenses was deferred. 4
