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Jun 15, 1215
King John I Assents to the Magna Carta Libertatum
A coalition of English nobility and clergymen compelled King John I to asset to a charter (the Magna Carta) that confirmed the traditional legal privileges accorded to ecclesiastical and landed elites, including access to swift justice. Most importantly, the Magna Carta established the legal basis for Parliament and the primacy of law over the monarchy. Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta#/media/File:Magna_Carta_(British_Library_Cotton_MS_Augustus_II.106)_-_02.jpg -
Nov 26, 1534
Henry VIII Initiates the English Reformation
Beginning with the passage of the Act of Supremacy, the Church of England became officially separate from the Catholic Church. That Henry VIII sought the consent of Parliament to establish the Anglican Church reflected the body's growing importance in English politics. Subsequent conflicts engendered by religious differences contributed to tensions between Parliament and the monarchy. Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England#/media/File:Hans_Holbein_d._J._074.jpg -
Parliament Issues the Petition of Right
In response to percieved monarchcical overreach by King Charles I, both chambers of Parliament ratified the Petition of Right, rejecting the legitimacy of Charles I's rule on the grounds that his decision to prorogue Parliament violated the fundamental obligations of the monarch outlined in the Magna Carta. Essentially, Parliament propounded its integrity to English government.
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/British_House_of_Commons#/media/File:House_of_Commons_Microcosm.jpg -
The English Civil War (1648-1651) Ends with a Parliamentary Victory
The English Civil War, which resulted from an aggregate of political and religious tensions between Parliament and Charles I, ended with the victory of Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians ("Roundheads"). Subsequently, Charles I was executed and, for nine years, monarchy was suspended in England as Cromwell ruled under the title "Lord Protector." Image Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Battles_of_the_English_Civil_War#/media/File:Monk%27s_siege_of_Tantallon.jpg -
Charles II is Installed as King of England, Marking the Restoration of the Monarchy
Following the death of Oliver Cromwell, moderate Parliamentarians and royalists offered Charles II the English throne. The Restoration dispelled any possibility of a pure republican government in England, but did reaffirm the principle of "constitutional monarchy." Charles II ruled with the advice of Parliament and, generally, conceded to the constitutional limits on his power. Image Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_England#/media/File:Charles_II_of_England.png -
King William III and Queen Mary II are Crowned, Marking the Conclusion of the Glorious Revolution (1688-1689)
The Glorious Revolution resulted from broad dissatisfaction with King James II, who sought to establish a Catholic absolute monarchy in England, and culminated in James II deposition and the coronation of avowed protestants William III and Mary II. The new rulers recognized Parliamentary sovereignty and perpetually renounced any claims to absolute power. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution#/media/File:Prince_of_Orange_engraving_by_William_Miller_after_Turner_R739.jpg -
The English Bill of Rights is Ratified
The English Bill of Rights enshrined the concept of a constitutional monarchy in English law. It not only accorded Parliament prime sovereignty in England, but also confirmed the right of habeas corpus, operationalized common law in the English judicial system, substantially curtained monarchical authority, and secured fundamental civil liberties, such as freedom of speech, for the English people. Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:English_Bill_of_Rights_of_1689_(top).jpg
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