The succession to the childless queen of England and Ireland Elizabeth I was an open question from her accession in 1558 to her death in 1603, when the crown passed to James VI of Scotland, an event known as the Union of the Crowns. While the accession of James went smoothly, the succession had been the subject of much debate for decades. In some scholarly views, it was a major political factor of the entire reign, even if not so voiced. Separate aspects have acquired their own nomenclature: the "Norfolk conspiracy", Patrick Collinson's "Elizabethan exclusion crisis", the "Secret Correspondence", and the "Valentine Thomas affair".
The topics of debate remained obscured by uncertainty.
