Ridolfi Plot and Initial Developments

The Ridolfi Plot of 1571 represented a complex international conspiracy involving multiple high-profile figures. Walsingham's role in stopping Catholic plots became evident through his masterful interception of correspondence between conspirators.

Highlight: The plot involved an impressive array of powerful figures, including Philip II of Spain, Pope Pius V, and the Duke of Norfolk, demonstrating the international scope of the conspiracy.

Example: Walsingham's intelligence gathering involved intercepting letters and allowing them to continue their journey, enabling him to track the full extent of the conspiracy.

Definition: The Ridolfi Plot was a Catholic conspiracy aimed at deposing Elizabeth I and replacing her with Mary Queen of Scots through a combination of foreign invasion and internal uprising.

The Throckmorton Plot, discovered in 1583, represented another serious threat to Elizabeth's reign. Francis Throckmorton's confession under torture revealed plans for invasion and Catholic restoration.

Vocabulary: The Bond of Association - A legal document introduced in 1584 that pledged signatories to avenge any assassination of Elizabeth I and prevent any beneficiary of her death from claiming the throne.