Stuart Britain- Charles I 1625-1640 Flashcards
Charles’ aims in 1625
- Rule as a king who believed he was answerable only to God
- Bring about Church reforms (beautifying worship)
- Support powers of bishops
- To restore his sister and her husband in the Palatinate
- To make war on Spain
- Keep the Duke of Buckingham his chief advisor
- Marry Henrietta Maria
Problems over Restoring the Palatinate
- Emperor had deprived Frederick of his electorship and passed title to Maximilian of Bavaria
- Protestant churches closed
- F and Eliz living in exile in Hague
- Truce ended so Dutch fighting Spain (Dutch protecting F+E)
Problems over War with Spain
1624 C had agreed with P in pressing for a War with Spain after his humiliation in Madrid 1623 (James hadn’t wanted to give up alliance)
- Parliament likely to be critical of Charles when first meeting after James refusing naval war-> only accepted Mansfield’s expedition
Problems over Buckingham
Duke of B blamed for failure of Mansfield’s expedition and for being very keen on war verbally but achieving little action
- Closeness to Charles resented -> could have influence over King
Problems over Marriage to Henrietta Maria
- Marriage no more acceptable to English than Spanish Match and it involved concessions over the Penal Laws and a promise to help France against the French Huguenots while aid in War with Spain only vaguely mentioned
- > Anger Parliament
- French Princess spoke little English and had a large group of Catholic advisors
- Refused to be crowned in a Protestant service an her relationship with Charles was difficult
Relations with Parliament to 1629 - Foreign Policy
- C expected a grant for plans to recover Palatinate, but didn’t tell P what his plans were
- 1625 - Decided Expedition to Cadiz to attack Spain shipping -> Complete Failure
- French alliance didnt prosper -> sending English troops to fight French Protestants was very unpopular
- French made peace with Spain = Charles and Buckingham went to war with France. 1/3 troops died.
- Parliament didn’t like paying expensive FP and even more critical when failed
Parliaments under Charles to 1629
July-August 1625
Feb-June 1626
March-June 1628 and January-March 1629
Relations with Parliament to 1629 - Financial Problems
- 1625 Parliament asked to grant money before discussing grievances - annoyed them
- > Granted 2 subsidies but only gave tonnage and Poundage for a year
- 1626 determined not to grant supplies until their concerns met -> Charles raised a forced loan and imprisoned those who refused to pay
- 1628 Again refused to grant money without redress and complained C was still collecting T+P
- > drew up Petition of Right -> C had to accept
Petition of Right
Stated the crown could not collect taxes or loans without consent of parliament
Charles had no option but to accept but he continued collecting customs duties without sanction of Parliament
Relations with Parliament to 1629 - Buckingham
- Duke of Buckingham dominated council
- Blamed for Cadiz failure as he was Lord Admiral
- By 1626 Buckingham main problem for Charles as both Houses of P opposed him
- When Commons demanded B to be dismissed, Charles dissolved P
- B led army to France in 1626-> blamed for failure again
- 1628 session prolonged when Eliot criticised B
- B murdered in August 1628-> solved problem although Charles devastated with grief while people rejoiced in street
Relations with Parliament to 1629 - Religion
1625 P complained C not enforcing Penal Laws strongly enough and attacked Richard Montagu’s sermons -> He was an Arminian and a Royal chaplain.
- By 1626 C taken a stronger line against Catholics and also sent many of his wife’s Catholic household to France.
- Promotion of William Laud caused disquiet, and Clergymen who preached forced loan should be paid in obedience to King
- 1629 Charles appointed more Arminian bishops, 1 of 3 propositions passed in Commons in March claimed that it was treasonable to bring in innovations in religion.
Personal Rule - What? and Why P feared?
1629, Charles was so exasperated with Parliament and resolved to rule wiht them
- Parliament feared absolute monarchy
Impact of Petition of Right
- Charles strongly resented this as it had limited his prerogative by defining his powers and making it harder to exercise them as freely as before
- Right to impose Martial Law, billet troops on priv households, raise arbitrary taxation, imprison opponents without charging them ALL curbed
- Charles thought, if this was the way H of Commons was going to treat him, he would manage without.
Impact of Murder of Buckingham
(AUGUST 1628)
- Charles alienated from his subjects-> he was devastated by grief whilst his subjects rejoiced in street
- Gap in Charles’ affections was filled by his wife-> she came from France so her advice tended to be in favour of rule w/o P
- Former ministers able to return to royal service (as had been thrust aside by Buckingham)
- New members of the Council, like Weston and Cottington, had Catholic sympathies and were not committed to P
Impact of events in Parliament in the 1629 session
- Issue of tonnage and poundage not settled- Charles continued collecting, and impositions as well. Merchants who refused to pay were arrested. P still arguing this was illegal -> relations worsened
- Issue of Arminian influence still a problem, Neither Charles nor MPs prepared to give on this
- unruly behaviour of MPs infuriating Charles -> locked doors to HofC against Black Rod (King’s messenger); Three resolutions passed
