List of ministers to Elizabeth I

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Lord Burghley was the longest-serving minister to Queen Elizabeth I. William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley from NPG (2).jpg
Lord Burghley was the longest-serving minister to Queen Elizabeth I.

This is a list of the principal government ministers during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, 1558 to 1603. From the outset of her reign, her chief minister was Sir William Cecil, later Lord Burghley. He died in 1598 and was succeeded by his son Sir Robert Cecil.

OfficeNameDateNotes
Lord Chancellor
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
Sir Nicholas Bacon 1558 
Sir Thomas Bromley 1579 
Sir Christopher Hatton 1587 
in commission1591 
Sir John Puckering 1592 
Sir Thomas Egerton 1596 
Lord Treasurer The Marquess of Winchester continued in office 
The Lord Burghley 1572 
The Lord Buckhurst 1599 
Lord Privy Seal Sir Nicholas Bacon 1558 
The Lord Burghley 1571 
The Lord Howard of Effingham 1572 
Sir Thomas Smith 1573 
Francis Walsingham 1576knighted in 1577
The Lord Burghley 1590 
Sir Robert Cecil 1598 
Secretary of State Sir William Cecil 1558 
Sir Thomas Smith 1572 
Sir Thomas Smith
Francis Walsingham
1573 
Sir Francis Walsingham
Thomas Wilson
1577 
Sir Francis Walsingham 1581 
Sir Francis Walsingham
William Davison
1586 
Sir Francis Walsingham 1587 
vacant1590 
Sir Robert Cecil 1596 
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Richard Sackville   
Sir Walter Mildmay 1566 
Sir John Fortescue 1589 
Lord High Admiral The Lord Clinton 1558created Earl of Lincoln in 1572
The Lord Howard of Effingham 1585created Earl of Nottingham in 1596
Master-General of the Ordnance Sir Richard Southwell continued in office 
The Earl of Warwick 1560 
The Earl of Warwick
Sir Philip Sidney
1585 
The Earl of Warwick 1586 
vacant1590 
Sir Robert Cecil 1598 
The Earl of Essex 1597 
vacant1601 
Lord Steward The Earl of Arundel continued in office 
The Earl of Pembroke 1568 
vacant1570 
The Earl of Leicester 1587 
Lord St John of Basing 1588 
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Howard of Effingham continued in office 
The Earl of Sussex 1572 
The 1st Lord Hunsdon 1585 
The 2nd Lord Cobham 1596 
The 2nd Lord Hunsdon 1597 
Cofferer of the Household Sir Henry Cocke by 1572 
Master of the Horse Lord Robert Dudley 1558created Earl of Leicester in 1564
The Earl of Essex 1588 
The Earl of Worcester 1602 

Other important ministers were Sir Francis Knollys and James Windebank.

Sources

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