Reinstatement of the Act of Supremacy
- When
- 1559
- Where
- England
- Episodes
- 2
In 1559, the Parliament of England passed the Act of Supremacy, replacing the 1534 statute to re-establish the Church of England's independence from Rome. Elizabeth I was designated Supreme Governor, and the Oath of Supremacy was reinstated for public office holders.
Episodes
- Supremacy Act Enactment
The Act of Supremacy was enacted, abolishing Papal jurisdiction and naming Elizabeth Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
- Parliamentary Reconvening
Parliament reconvened in April 1559 after the Queen rejected an earlier bill, aiming to finalize the religious settlement.
Background and detail
Legislative Context. Following Elizabeth I's accession in 1558, England remained religiously divided. The first Parliament opened in January 1559 with the primary goal of achieving a religious settlement. After initial bills failed to gain royal approval, Parliament reconvened in April 1559 to finalize the legislative framework for the church.
Act Provisions. The Act of Supremacy 1558, also known as the Act of Supremacy 1559, abolished Papal jurisdiction in England. It designated Elizabeth as Supreme Governor rather than Supreme Head of the Church. The act required those taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch in this capacity.
People involved
- Elizabeth I · Monarch and Supreme Governor of the Church of England
- Parliament of England · Legislative body passing the Act of Supremacy
Sources
- Act of Supremacy 1558 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-03
- Elizabethan religious settlement Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.