This is a list of the principal government ministers during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, 1558 to 1603. From the beginning of the reign the chief minister was Sir William Cecil, later Lord Burghley. He died in 1598 and was succeeded by his son Sir Robert Cecil.
| Office | Name | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Chancellor Lord Keeper of the Great Seal |
Sir Nicholas Bacon | 1558 | |
| Sir Thomas Bromley | 1579 | ||
| Sir Christopher Hatton | 1587 | ||
| in commission | 1591 | ||
| 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 | 1576 | knighted 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 | ||
| Sir Robert Cecil | 1590 | ||
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Sir Richard Sackville | ||
| Sir Walter Mildmay | 1566 | ||
| Sir John Fortescue | 1589 | ||
| Lord High Admiral | The Lord Clinton | 1558 | created Earl of Lincoln in 1572 |
| The Lord Howard of Effingham | 1585 | created 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 | ||
| vacant | 1590 | ||
| The Earl of Essex | 1597 | ||
| vacant | 1601 | ||
| Lord Steward | The Earl of Arundel | continued in office | |
| The Earl of Pembroke | 1568 | ||
| vacant | 1570 | ||
| 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 (first) Lord Hunsdon | 1585 | ||
| The Lord Cobham | 1596 | ||
| The (second) Lord Hunsdon | 1597 | ||
| Cofferer of the Household | Sir Henry Cocks | by 1572 | |
| Master of the Horse | Lord Robert Dudley | 1558 | created 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.
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—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
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Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
Are all but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)