The Failure of Absolute Monarchy in England.

The Tudors

In the 16thc the Tudor monarchs, HenryVIII and Elizabeth I had learnt to work with their Parliament . This assembly was (and still is) made up of a hereditary House of Lords and an increasingly powerful, elected House of Commons.The Tudor monarchs managed to avoid conflict with Parliament and Parliament was generally loyal and helpful to the monarch.

The Stuarts : James I and Divine Right.

When in 1603 James I , the Stuart king of Scotland, became king of England, he did not understand the delicate relationship that had existed between crown and Parliament . He believed in the 'Divine Right of Kings'. The members of the House of Commons did not enjoy being lectured to about this.They were often wealthy merchants and farmers and carefully controlled taxation. Conflict between the two was avoided by James I keeping out of wars and not having to ask his Parliament for money.

Charles I

In 1625 Charles I succeeded James I. He immediately became involved in a war with France and needed money. Parliament demanded written recognition of its power (the 'Petition of Rights') before it would help the king. Charles I responded by dismissing Parliament 1629-40 (the 'Eleven Years' Tyranny) and trying to rule alone, reviving long -forgotten medieval taxes.

Three differences between king and Parliament were becoming apparent:

1. Political .

King's belief in Divine Right and Parliament's belief that only the elected representatives of the people should exercise political power.

2. Money

The king's belief that he could raise taxes without consulting parliament and Parliament's belief that it alone could vote for, and raise, taxes.

3. Religious.

The king , encouraged by his Catholic wife, wanted the Church of England to keep its traditions, decoration and ceremonies. Many members of Parliament were strict Protestants, Calvinists who wanted to reduce the Church of England to a strict Puritan minimum.

Towards Civil War.

In 1640 the king had to recall Parliament to raise money for another war, this time against the Scots. Again Parliament wanted written confirmation of its power before it would agree to helping Charles I (the 'Grand Remonstrance'). Exasperated the king tried to arrest the leading opponents in the Huse of Commons, failed and leftto raise an army to suppress it . England slipped into civil war.