Seven Steps to Limited Monarchy by Harish Ravi (Title Image Source: http://images.smh.com.au/2010/01/18/1046642/williammain-200x0.jpg)

Hampton Court Conference

Jan 1, 1604

In this conference, James I refused to grant the Puritans their wishes. This displayed a failure of a powerful monarch to deal with a fairly popular religious protest, meaning that the principle of absolutism was already weakened, and England was progressing towards a limited monarchy. Date source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/253786/Hampton-Court-Conference Image source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sh8GEcEhWH0/UPQ54qYuKaI/AAAAAAAADcY/9rO4P3uiRiE/s1600/HamptonCourtConference.jpg

Short Parliament

Apr 13, 1640

Because Charles I disbanded a Parliament which was asking for a royal alleviation of more popular greivances, he was symbolically establishing the dominance of royalty over Parliament. Therefore, the classes represented in Parliament were angered by this more absolute power of the king, which helped contribute to tensions that ended absolutism and brought about a limited monarchy.
Date Source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/541676/Short-Parliament
Image source: http://www.israbox.com

Oliver Cromwell

Jan 1, 1653

Oliver Cromwell, through his military dictatorship, angered the general public. This again was a blow to the principle of concentrated leadership suggested by absolutism, and advancement of the idea of a limited monarchy. Date Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cromwell_oliver.shtml Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Oliver_Cromwell_Gaspard_de_Crayer.jpg

Test Act

Jan 1, 1673

Passed to prevent Charles II's brother from gaining power, the Test Act represented a fundamental distrust of Charles II's family, and therefore, his monarchy itself. This was a blow to the absolute monarchy as it associated Catholicism with an absolute monarch, which was quite detrimental to Charles's continued political power in England. This was quite helpful in creating the limited monarchy.
Date source: http://www.infoplease.com
Image source: http://politicalconnection.files.wordpress.com/

Glorious Revolution

Jan 1, 1688

This was a rebuttal of James II's attempted repulsion of the Test Act, which would have allowed for Catholic rulers. So, this was an explicit rebuttal of the absolute power of the monarchy and an endorsement of the collective members of Parliament who passed the Test Act. Therefore, this provided support for the creation of a limited monarchy. Date Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/glorious_revolution_01.shtml Image Source: http://www.thegloriousrevolution.org/i

Bill of Rights

Jan 1, 1689

This allowed for the guarantee of Parliamentary power through explicit declarations of Parliamentary rights. Therefore this limited the monarchy in power. Date, Image, and Information Source: http://billofrightsinstitute.org/resources/educator-resources/americapedia/americapedia-documents/english-bill-of-rights/

King George I

Jan 1, 1714

As king, he respected Parliamentary rights and allowed for liberty in speaking. This made the idea of the limited monarchy legitmate, as a monarch was accepting the rights of other governmental bodies. Date and Image source: http://www.britishempire.co.uk/biography/georgeiportrait.htm