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The Beginning of Charles I's Personal Rule
In order to secure funding for the war with Spain, Charles had to turn to Parliament. Parliament would only grant the funds he needed if he recgnized the Petition of Right, which would prevent the king from raising new taxes without Parliament's consent. As a result, Charles I, a believer in absolute monarch, dissolved Parliament and ruled without it for 11 years.
Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petition_of_Right.jpg -
Charles I reconvenes Parliament
King Charles II tried to impose religious uniformity on Scotland; the Scots did not like this and revolted. In order to fund the war, Charles had to reconvene Parliment in 1640. Parliament, understandably very angry for not exist for almost a decade, tried to assert its power, intensifying the conflict it had with the king. Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LongParliament.jpg -
Charles I enters the House of Commons
King Charles I invaded the House of Commons in order to arrest 5 members of Parliament who opposed him (they had escaped before he arrrived). Charles then left London to raise an army, to which Parliment responded in kind. The English Civil War had begun, with King Charles fighting Parliament.
Image Source: http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/collections/speakerlenthall/ -
Execution of Charles I
By executing Charles I, Parliment declared its superiority over the king (after all, you can not execute your betters).It also showed that Parliment had the power to decide who should be the monarch or if there should even be a monarch at all.
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Execution_of_Charles_I.png -
The Restoration of Charles II
Two years after the death of Oliver Cromwell, Charles I's son, Charles II, returned to England with the restoration of the monarchy and the Anglican Church. England returned to the status quo from before the Civil War and the republican Commonwealth. While this might seem like a step back for limited monarchy, it cannot exist without a monarchy, thus event was a step towards limited monarchy.
Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_II_of_England.png -
James II becomes King
When Charles II died, the crown went to his brother, James, a convert to Catholicism who believed in aboslute monarchy. His absolutist beliefs can be seen when he dissolved Parliament for not repealing the Test Act. Many people in England hoped that his sister, the Protestan Mary, would succeed him, but James's queen gave birth to a son. This direclty lead to the Glorious Revolution.
Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_II_1633-1701.jpg -
The Glorious Revolution
On this date, William and Mary were crowned the rulers of England. After their coronation, William and Mary recognized the Bill of Rights, which limited monarchical power. Also, because Parliment invited them to take the crown from James II, this event demostrates that Parliment had the de facto right to choose the king or queen, thus solidify England's status as limited monarchy.
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_and_Mary.jpg
