Absolute Rulers-England

Charles l was born on November 19, 1600. He was a son of James I of England. Charles l was the monarch over the three kingdoms England, Scotland, and Ireland from March 27, 1625, until his execution.

The way he ruled provoked a civil war that led to his execution. When his first Parliament met in June, trouble immediately arose because of the general distrust of Buckingham.

The first war was settled with Oliver Cromwell’s victory for Parliamentary forces at the 1645 Battle of Naseby. The second phase ended with Charles’ defeat at the Battle of Preston and his execution in 1649. Charles’ son, Charles, then formed an army of English and Scottish Royalists, which prompted Cromwell to invade Scotland in 1650. Cromwell made England a republic. The next year, Cromwell shattered the remaining Royalist forces and ended the “wars of the three kingdoms,” though Charles II eventually ascended to the throne in 1660.

King Charles I was beheaded in London on January 30, 1649. This happened to him because he betrayed his country.

After Charles I was defeated, a movement to forever end monarchical rule in Britain took hold. Parliamentarians tried to run the country without a king. But there was a problem, With the death of his father, Charles II was now king. He was just a king without a throne.

Charles died in 1685 from apoplexy after converting to Catholicism on his deathbed. Charles had no legitimate children, so his brother took over when he passed. His brothers' name was James II. James wanted to move his country to absolute Catholicism, and that led to the 1688 revoluition and the removal of the throne.

Parliament was permanently established as the ruling power in England after James II was overthrown. After being overthrown, James II attempted to regain his throne by invading Ireland and was driven back by forces in the Battle of the Boyne, still celebrated by Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Mary's death left William with all the power until his own death in 1702, when he was succeeded by Mary's sister Anne. Mary died from smallpox and William died from pneumonia.

William and his wife Mary were crowned joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1689. Known as the 'Glorious Revolution', marked an important transition towards parliamentary rule as we know it today.

Mary II was the queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III. They were married from 1677 to 1694. As the daughter of King James II, she made it possible for her Dutch husband to become co-ruler of England after he had overthrown James's government.