Malcolm Rivera
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 is considered a significant event in the evolution of the English constitutional monarchy, as it furthered the idea of a monarchy restricted by laws and established Parliament as the ruling power. This revolution was preceded by the 1628 Petition of Right, which marked the founding of the United Kingdom's modern constitutional monarchy by setting out specific liberties that the king was prohibited from infringing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the event | 1688 |
| Name of the event | Glorious Revolution |
| Monarchs involved | James II & VII, William III of Orange, Mary II |
| Outcome | Furthered the constitutional monarchy |
| Restrictions on the monarchy | Bill of Rights 1689, Act of Settlement 1701 |
| Other outcomes | Excluded Catholics from succession to the throne, required future monarchs to be Protestants |
| Current monarch | King Charles III |
| Sovereign Grant for 2023-24 | £86.3 million |
| Number of constitutional monarchies in Western Europe | More than a quarter |
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What You'll Learn
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
King James II's overt Roman Catholicism and his actions, such as suspending the legal rights of Dissenters and issuing a Declaration of Indulgence, alienated him from the non-Catholic population and created discontent among many, particularly non-Catholics. The birth of his son in June 1688 and the announcement that the child would be raised Catholic changed the line of succession, sparking fears of a Catholic dynasty in England. This prompted several prominent Englishmen, including seven of the king's peers, to invite William of Orange, a Protestant married to James's daughter Mary, to invade England.
William of Orange accepted the invitation and landed in England in November 1688, advancing slowly towards London as support for King James II dwindled. James ultimately fled to France, and in April 1689, William and Mary were crowned joint rulers of England, Scotland, and Ireland. This revolution transformed how England was governed, giving Parliament more power over the monarchy and marking a shift from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. The Bill of Rights of 1689 further restricted the monarchy's power, defining and limiting the regent's authority for the first time.
The Glorious Revolution was a complex event with multiple interpretations. Some historians emphasise the foreign invasion aspect, highlighting William's military operation from the Netherlands and the Dutch occupation of London. Others, like Thomas Macaulay, present a "Whig history" narrative, portraying the revolution as a largely peaceful triumph of English common sense that confirmed and strengthened the institutions of tempered popular liberty and limited monarchy. The revolution's legacy includes the establishment of Parliament as the ruling power in England and the permanent restriction of the monarchy's power, setting the stage for the development of a political democracy.
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The Bill of Rights 1689
The document was presented to William and Mary, the prince and princess of Orange, who became monarchs following the abdication of James II. The acceptance of the Bill's provisions was a condition for offering the throne to William and Mary. The Bill of Rights, along with the Toleration Act of the same year, the Triennial Act of 1694, and the Act of Settlement of 1701, provided the foundation for the government after the Glorious Revolution.
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The Act of Settlement 1701
The Act of Settlement of 1701 was an act of the Parliament of England that restricted the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants. This meant that anyone who became a Roman Catholic or married a Roman Catholic was disqualified from inheriting the throne. The Act also contained eight additional provisions, which were to come into effect only upon the death of both William and Anne. One of these provisions was that the monarch "shall join in communion with the Church of England". This reinforced the idea that the monarch must be in communion with the Church of England, as they are the head of the Church.
The Act of Settlement was passed during a time of widespread anti-Dutch sentiment in England, following the ascendancy of William of Orange in 1689. The Act provided that the throne would pass to the Electress Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of James VI and I, and her descendants, but it excluded "all and every Person and Persons who... is, are, or shall be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or shall profess the Popish Religion or shall marry a Papist".
The Act of Settlement also addressed the dynastic and religious aspects of succession and further restricted the powers and prerogatives of the Crown. For example, it required parliamentary consent for the Sovereign to engage in war or leave the country, and established judicial independence by providing that judges would hold office on good conduct rather than at Royal pleasure.
The Act of Settlement was praised by some constitutionalists, such as Henry Hallam, who called it "the seal of our constitutional laws". However, others have criticised it for its discriminatory nature, including the British newspaper The Guardian, which criticised the lack of a proposal to remove the ban on Catholics sitting on the throne.
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The Magna Carta of 1215
The Magna Carta, also known as "The Great Charter", is a fundamental document in the history of the common law in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth countries, and the United States. The charter was first agreed upon in 1215 and is considered the first form of a constitution in the Kingdom of England.
The Magna Carta was signed by King John of England (1166-1216) at Runnymede on 15 June 1215. The charter was drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, in an attempt to ease the tension between the unpopular King and his chief vassals, the feudal barons. The charter promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown. The charter also included the "Articles of the Barons", which were the rebel leaders' draft demands for reform.
Although the original charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, it was reissued in 1216 by the regency government of King John's young son, Henry III (1207-1272). Henry reissued the charter again in 1225, with further concessions, in exchange for the approval of additional taxes. The Magna Carta continued to function as a political tool for centuries and was invoked extensively in the early 17th century by jurists such as Sir Edward Coke, who argued against the divine right of kings.
Today, the Magna Carta is considered a powerful, iconic document, even though almost all of its content has been repealed from the statute books. Four exemplifications of the original 1215 charter remain in existence, two at the British Library, one at Lincoln Castle, and one at Salisbury Cathedral. The Magna Carta is often cited by politicians and campaigners and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities.
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The Claim of Right Act 1689
The Act came about following the Glorious Revolution, when William of Orange invaded England with his Dutch Army on 5 November 1688. King James VII of Scotland, who was also King of England and Ireland as James II, tried to resist the invasion but ultimately fled England on 23 December 1688.
The Convention Parliament in England declared that James had abdicated and issued an English Bill of Rights on 13 February 1689, offering the Crown of England to William and Mary. However, the Scots faced a more complex constitutional issue. A Convention of the Scottish Estates met to consider letters from the two contenders for the Crown. On 4 April, they voted to remove James VII from office, citing the contractual nature of monarchy.
The Claim of Right Act and the Article of Grievances were then adopted, outlining the requirements of Scottish constitutional law. It was affirmed by an Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1703 and retained by the Parliament of the United Kingdom after the Acts of Union in 1707. The Act "bolster[ed] the position of parliament within the Scottish constitution at the expense of the royal prerogative".
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Frequently asked questions
The Glorious Revolution of 1688, which restricted the powers of the monarchy and set out the rights of Parliament.
The Bill of Rights 1689, which limited the powers of the monarch and set out the rights of Parliament, and the Act of Settlement 1701.
The 1628 Petition of Right, which marked the founding of the United Kingdom's modern constitutional monarchy, and the Magna Carta of 1215, which first sought to impose constraints upon the monarch.
The Glorious Revolution furthered the constitutional monarchy and established the idea of Parliament as the ruling power of England, meaning the monarch could not govern without Parliament's consent.
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