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Jan 1, 1215
The Magna Carta
Although ancient, the Magna Carta is an important element in the development of a constitutional monarchy. Originally drafted in Latin in 1215, the Magna Carta was the first document forces upon an English king by his subjects. This document both limited the privileges of the monarch and protected the rights and liberties of the people. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War, which spanned from 1642 to 1651, was a battle between the supporters of King Charles I and the supporters of the Long parliament. Ultimately, parliament prevailed and King Charles was executed. This battle was a triumph of parliament over monarchy that expressed the true extent of its power. -
The Habeas Corpus Act
The Writ of Habeas Corpus is an English parliamentary act that was passed during the reign of King Charles II. Much like the notable supreme court cases that clarify the US Constitution today, this act helped define and strengthen the over two-hundred year old Writ of Habeas Corpus, which required an an arrested person to appear before a judge or a court. Habeas Corpus, which was drafted in 1215, was the first step in limiting the power of the monarch. -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 is one of the first major steps towards a limited monarchy in england.The revolution was marked by the overthrow of King James II, who was gradually becoming more and more disliked due to this Roman Catholic beliefs and interest in an absolute monarchy. He was replaced by William III of England and his wife Mary, who supported a constitutional monarchy. Because of the Glorious Revolution, future restrictions of power such as the Bill of Rights and the Settlement A -
The Joint Reign of William and Mary
William and Mary rose to power at the end of the Glorious Revolution. To end the fighting, they immediately signed the Bill of Rights, which solidified the cooperation between the crown and parliament. Through this, they brought to an end centuries of tension caused by the struggle between absolute monarchy and a constitutional monarch. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights of 1689 was an act of England's parliament that states limits to the monarchy. In addition, it also:
establishes freedom of speech for parliament
required regular elections to parliament
allowed parliament to petition the monarchy
it protected protestants by allowing them to be armed for their defense
The law prevents an absolute monarch by requiring the crown to respond to its public as represented by parliament. -
The Act of Settlement
The Act of Settlement works alongside the Bill of Rights to limit the power of the throne and prevent an absolute monarch. The Act of Settlement has a number of provisions:
No person under the crown or who receives pension from the monarch may belong to parliament- this helps to prevent a conflict of interests and eliminated potential corruption.
If any person who is not native to England takes the throne, he or she is not able to clain any territories not belonging to England without the permis
