The bishops were Roman Catholics, and Elizabeth found it difficult to
get one to perform the coronation services. At length one consented,
but only on condition that the Queen should take the ancient form of
coronation oath, by which she virtually bound herself to support the
Roman Catholic Church.[1] To this Elizabeth consented, and having
consulted an astrologer, Dr. Dee, he named a lucky day for the
ceremony, and she was crowned (1559).
[1] By this oath every English sovereign from William the Conqueror to
Elizabeth, inclusive, and even as late as James II, with the single
exception of Edward VI, swore "to preserve religion in the same state
as did Edward the Confessor." The form of the coronation oath was
changed to support Protestantism by the Revolution of 1688. Finally,
under George V, in 1910, the phraseology of the oath was modified by
Act of Parliament in order to make it less objectionable not only to
English Catholics, but to a large majority of the people of the
nation.