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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta
In 1215, King John of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta. This document established the right of selected wealthy English citizens to act as consultants to the king. Although the Magna Carta mainly served to limit the monarch's power over the elite, it was the foundation for England's future limited monarchy. -
1376
Meeting of the Good Parliament
In 1376, the Good Parliament was convened in response to growing tensions over King Edward III's corrupt court. This meeting marked the first use of impeachment within parliament and set to reverse some of the financial issues caused by a corrupt monarch and royal court. Although the short term impact of the Parliament did not change the function of the English monarch, it set a precedent for later Parliaments to challenge the authority of those in power when corruption was becoming prominent. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther publishes 95 Theses
When Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, he set the ball rolling for major religious reform across Europe. In England, this was the Protestant Reformation. Although religion remained influential to the English monarchy, conflict between Catholics and Protestants impacted the rights of the king and the overall role of the monarch. This impacted limited monarchy because of the way English people reacted to the religious practices of their monarchs, often challenging religious rule. -
The Petition of Right
The Petition of Right declared that no taxes could be levied without Parliament's consent, no one could be imprisoned without due cause, so soldiers could be quartered with citizenry, and no martial law could be used in peace times. This limited the power of the sovereign and gave the citizens more rights. -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was the change in power from King James II to his daughter Mary and and William of Orange. During the revolution, parliament's power increased greatly and the monarch's power was decreased. Although England was still ruled by a monarch, Mary and William had significantly more limits placed upon them than previous rulers. -
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was signed by William of Orange and Mary II in 1689. It gave the parliament power of the monarchy, making it the foundation for the future constitutional monarchy. Some rights established by the Bill were freedom of speech, freedom to petition the king, freedom from punishment without trial, and freedom from royal taxation without parliament's approval. By giving common people these freedom, and giving the parliament more power, the sovereign's control was greatly limited. -
The Act of Settlement
The passing of the Act of Settlement in 1701 reinforced the Bill of Rights. It contained provisions which stated that the Parliament could impeach a judge who acted against the common good and that the King needed the consent of Parliament to go to war. These provisions further limited the power of the monarch, which set the tone for a constitutional monarchy.
