The national government of England in the Elizabethan age included three bodies: the monarchy, the Privy Council and Parliament. There were also regional and county governments. Although Elizabeth was not above the law, the queen remained the most powerful person in England. Disobeying Elizabeth was against the law; the demands ordered by the Queen had to be obeyed. Elizabeth had the upper hand on important decisions regarding religion, on when Parliament met and what they talked about, on war, on education, on ways of eating and styles of dress. The two institutions by which Elizabeth governed were the Privy Council and Parliament. Elizabeth's Privy Council consisted of twelve active members. These members, however, rarely showed up at a meeting together. William Cecil held the leading position in this group, with Robert Dudley and Sir Francis Walsingham below him. Elizabeth trusted Cecil in the position of Chief Secretary of State because he was wise, cautious and a good administrator. Subsequently, Walsingham became Secretary of State. Other notable members of Elizabeth's Privy Council were Christopher Hatton and Francis Bacon. The Council decided political matters for the English government, but remained completely dependent on Elizabeth. The Privy Council's main concerns were religion, military matters, diplomacy, the Queen's safety, the economy, and the welfare of the English people. The Council also issued Queen's Proclamations. In the Elizabethan era, Parliament consisted of two houses: the House of Lords (the Upper House) and the House of Commons (the Lower House). Only bishops and aristocrats could sit in the Upper House, while commoners elected the members of Parliament for the Lower House. Members of the L...... middle of paper ......losophical Society, March 9, 2007 .Thomas, Heather. “Power and government”. The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. April 9, 2007. .---. "Monarch." The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. April 9, 2007. .---. “Private Council”. The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. April 9, 2007. .---. "Parliament." The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I. 9 April 2007. .Weir, Alison. The Life of Elizabeth I. New York: Ballantine Books, 1998.http://faculty.tnstate.edu/smcurtis/Elizabethan%20Government.htmHaigh, Christopher. Elizabeth I. London: Longman, 1988. Original Letters, Illustrative of English History, edited by Sir Henry Ellis - Series 1, Volume I