Malcolm Rivera
James II of England (James VII of Scotland) was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He is considered a constitutional monarch because, unlike an absolute monarch, his power was constrained by laws such as those of Parliament and the Magna Carta. James's Roman Catholicism and placement of Catholic allies in high positions in the court and army alienated the Anglican establishment, who invited the Protestant William of Orange and his wife, James's daughter Mary, to invade and overthrow him. This revolution permanently established Parliament as the ruling power in England.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Monarch | Constitutional |
| Reason | Constrained by laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta |
| Absolute Power | No |
| Power Constraints | Parliament |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Conflicts | Religion, Absolutism, and the Divine Right of Kings |
| Rule | King of England, Scotland, and Ireland |
| Rule Duration | 1685-1688 |
| Replacement | William III and Mary II |
| Replacement Condition | Acceptance of a constitutional monarchy |
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What You'll Learn
- James II was a constitutional monarch because he was constrained by the laws of Parliament
- He was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland
- James II's reign involved struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings
- He was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution, which established Parliament as the ruling power
- James II's placement of Catholic allies in high positions alarmed the Anglican establishment
James II was a constitutional monarch because he was constrained by the laws of Parliament
James II of England and VII of Scotland was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He is described as a constitutional monarch because, unlike an absolute monarch, his power was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta.
James II's reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings. His promotion of co-religionists and suspension of laws against them and Protestant dissidents antagonized Parliament and the aristocracy. The Established Church, traditionally an ally of the monarchy, was forced to erode its privileges. James further alienated the Anglican bishops by attempting to reduce their monopoly on education and allowing Roman Catholics to hold important positions in Oxford colleges.
In 1688, James ordered the Declaration to be read from the pulpits of every Anglican church. The Declaration elicited some thanks from its beneficiaries, but it also left the Established Church in the difficult position of being forced to erode its privileges. James's attempts to force the Fellows of Magdalen College to elect someone of his choosing as their President was seen as a violation of their right to elect someone of their own choosing.
James II was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution, which ended a century of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of the English Parliament over the Crown. Leading members of the English political class invited William of Orange to assume the English throne, and James's army deserted him. He went into exile in France, where he spent the rest of his life.
In February 1689, a special Convention Parliament declared that James had "vacated" the English throne, installing William and Mary as joint monarchs. This established the principle that sovereignty derived from Parliament, not birth. The Parliament of Scotland also declared that James had forfeited the Scottish throne. The Convention Parliament issued a Declaration of Right, denouncing James for abusing his power and proclaiming limitations on royal authority. The abuses charged to James included the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for petitioning the Crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. The Declaration was the basis for the Bill of Rights enacted later that year, which declared that no Roman Catholic could ascend the English throne, nor could any English monarch marry a Roman Catholic.
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He was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland
James II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was the last Catholic monarch of these countries. He ascended the throne in 1685, succeeding his brother, Charles II. James was deposed in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution, which was precipitated by his Roman Catholicism and his placement of Catholic allies in high positions. James's reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings.
James's conversion to Catholicism before becoming king caused alarm among the Anglican establishment, particularly as the queen at the time was childless, making James the heir presumptive. James further alienated the Anglican bishops by ordering the Declaration read from the pulpits of every Anglican church, forcing the Established Church to erode its own privileges. He also attempted to reduce the Anglican monopoly on education by appointing Roman Catholics to important positions at Oxford University.
James's religious policies and his suspension of the laws against Catholic and Protestant dissidents antagonized Parliament and the aristocracy. The English political class invited William of Orange, a Protestant, and his wife, Mary, who was James's own daughter, to overthrow James and assume the English throne. When William arrived in England, James's army deserted him, and he went into exile in France.
In February 1689, a special Convention Parliament declared that James had "vacated" the English throne, installing William and Mary as joint monarchs. This established the principle that sovereignty derived from Parliament, not birth. James attempted to recover his kingdoms by invading Ireland, but he was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690 and returned to France, where he lived out the rest of his life in exile.
The Glorious Revolution, sparked by James's Catholicism, permanently established Parliament as the ruling power in England and confirmed the primacy of Parliament over the Crown. It also led to the enactment of the Bill of Rights in 1689, which declared that no Roman Catholic could ascend the English throne or marry an English monarch.
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James II's reign involved struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings
James II was a constitutional monarch, meaning he inherited power through heredity but was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. This is in contrast to an absolute monarch, who has no constraints on their power. James' deposition established the principle that sovereignty derived from Parliament, not birth. This was a significant shift in the balance of power between the monarchy and Parliament.
James' reign was marked by conflicts over religion and his religious policies alienated Anglicans and Parliament. He promoted the rights of Catholics and suspended the laws against them, which antagonized the Established Church, the traditional ally of the monarchy, and the aristocracy. He also attempted to reduce the Anglican monopoly on education and offended Anglicans by appointing Catholics to important positions at Oxford University.
James' struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings were evident in his attempts to exert his authority and impose his religious beliefs on his subjects. He ordered the Declaration of Indulgence, which granted religious freedom to Catholics and Protestant dissidents, to be read from the pulpits of every Anglican church, further alienating the Anglican bishops. He also attempted to force the Fellows of Magdalen College at Oxford to elect a president of his choosing, which was seen as a violation of their rights.
The opposition to James' religious policies and his attempts to exert absolute authority ultimately led to his deposition and exile. A special Convention Parliament declared that James had "vacated" the English throne and installed William and Mary as joint monarchs, with the condition that they accept a constitutional monarchy. James' struggles over religion and absolutism thus played a key role in shaping the political landscape of England, confirming the limits of royal power and establishing the primacy of Parliament.
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He was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution, which established Parliament as the ruling power
James II was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings. He was the son of Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France and became king at the age of 51 when his elder brother, Charles II, died in 1685.
James II is described as a constitutional monarch because, unlike an absolute monarch who has unconstrained power, he was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. His deposition in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ended a century of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of Parliament over the Crown. Leading members of the English political class invited William of Orange to assume the English throne, and when William landed in Brixham on November 5, 1688, James's army deserted him. James went into exile in France, but he attempted to recover his kingdoms by landing in Ireland on March 14, 1689. However, a Scottish Convention followed England in ruling that James had "forfeited" the throne, which was then offered to William and Mary. After his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690, James returned to France, where he lived the rest of his life in exile.
The Glorious Revolution established Parliament as the ruling power, with sovereignty derived from Parliament rather than birthright. This was a significant shift in the balance of power, and it established the principle of constitutional monarchy in England. The Convention Parliament issued a Declaration of Right in February 1689, denouncing James for abusing his power and proclaiming limitations on royal authority. The abuses charged to James included the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for petitioning the Crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. This Declaration formed the basis for the Bill of Rights enacted later that year, which also declared that no Roman Catholic could ascend the English throne or marry an English monarch.
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James II's placement of Catholic allies in high positions alarmed the Anglican establishment
James II was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and his reign is remembered for conflicts over religion. He was the second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria and was created Duke of York at birth.
James II's placement of Catholic allies in high positions in the court and army, coupled with the birth of his son, alarmed the Anglican establishment. This led to the Glorious Revolution, which overthrew him and permanently established Parliament as the ruling power in England.
James's conversion to Roman Catholicism before ascending the throne was a matter of public knowledge. In 1673, he refused to take an anti-Catholic oath imposed by the Test Act and resigned all his offices. He further offended by marrying Mary of Modena, a Roman Catholic princess, in the same year.
James's Catholicism created a climate of hysteria, and he spent long periods in exile from 1679 to 1681. During this time, three successive Parliaments attempted to exclude him from the line of succession by statute. However, James defended his rights tenaciously, and the exclusionists were defeated.
In 1685, unsuccessful rebellions led by the Duke of Monmouth in England and the Duke of Argyll in Scotland marked a turning point in James's attitude. He began to deeply distrust his subjects, and his new regiments were granted to Roman Catholic officers with military experience and loyalty. This act provoked a quarrel between the king and Parliament, which was prorogued in November 1685 and never met again.
In 1686, the division between James and his former allies, the Anglican Tories, deepened. He replaced some of them and admitted Roman Catholics to the Privy Council and subsequently to high offices of state. In 1687, James prepared to pack Parliament with his supporters to repeal the Test Act and the Penal Laws. He instituted a wholesale purge of those opposed to his plan, appointing new lord-lieutenants of counties and remodelling governing towns and livery companies.
At the University of Oxford, James offended Anglicans by allowing Roman Catholics to hold important positions in Christ Church and University College, two of the university's largest colleges. He also attempted to force the Fellows of Magdalen College to elect a man of ill repute, believed to be a Roman Catholic, as their President, violating their right to elect someone of their choosing.
In 1688, James ordered the Declaration read from the pulpits of every Anglican church, further alienating the Anglican bishops against the Supreme Governor of their church. The Established Church, traditionally an ally of the monarchy, was forced to erode its privileges.
James's pro-Catholic policies and the birth of his son, James Francis Edward, on 10 June 1688, alarmed Anglicans, who now saw the possibility of a permanent Roman Catholic dynasty. The Anglican establishment invited the Protestant William of Orange and his wife, James's daughter Mary, to invade. On 5 November 1688, William landed in Brixham, and James's army deserted him. James went into exile in France, and in February 1689, a special Convention Parliament declared that he had "vacated" the English throne, installing William and Mary as joint monarchs.
James's reign thus ended with the primacy of Parliament over the Crown confirmed, resolving a century of political and civil strife.
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Frequently asked questions
James II is described as a constitutional monarch because he was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. This is in contrast to an absolute monarch, who has no constraints on their power. James II was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and his reign is remembered for conflicts over religion. He was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established Parliament as the ruling power in England.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 was a period of political and civil strife that ended with the deposition of James II and his replacement by William III and Mary II. Leading members of the English political class invited William to assume the English throne, and James's army deserted him. He went into exile in France, from where he attempted to regain his throne by invading Ireland. He was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and returned to France, where he lived out the rest of his life in exile.
The Glorious Revolution permanently established the primacy of Parliament over the Crown in England. It also resulted in the creation of a Bill of Rights, which declared that no Roman Catholic could ascend the English throne or marry an English monarch. The revolution was caused by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings.
