England's Glorious Revolution
A bloodless revolution, most likely the only time that it has happened in the 17th century Europe. Today, what governing body has more power in the UK? Is it the Monarch or is it Parliament? The answer is parliament and the Glorious Revolution is to blame for this. England has always had a monarch, and even today the Queen stands more as a figurehead for morale, were parliament actually runs the country.
The events that lead to this succession of the monarch by parliament are known as the Glorious Revolution. To really understand this radical change in European history one must really understand the background that lead to these events. In 1661 Charles the Second was restored to the throne following the death of Oliver Cromwell. The Restoration was known for its lascivious king and permissive court, which set the general social tone. Following many years of stern puritan rule, the King was more interested in enjoying himself than in religious dogma. Many people followed the King's lead. It is still possible to visit the Walks at Gray's Inn, where smartly dressed crowds promenaded about seeing and being seen, checking out each other's outfits. After all the years of revolution and misguided idealism, many people were now more interested in this year's fashion. But of course not everyone was as sensible: even though the King was religiously tolerant, society in general was not. The fanatic Titus Oates whipped up groundless rumours about a catholic plot to kill Charles, which caused hysteria, and led to arrests and needless executions. The real threat to the King came not from imaginary catholic plots, but from Parliament which was growing in strength all the time.
In February 1685 Charles the Second died and was succeeded by his brother James, as James the Second. The problem with James was his catholic faith. Charles the Second's illegitimate son James Duke of Monmouth, a protestant, attempted to stage a rising to snatch the throne, but his makeshift...
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