The Attempted Impeachment of Buckingham, May 1626 Flashcards
What were the key foreign policy failures under Charles I that led to tensions with Parliament?
The failed Mansfeld expedition and the Cádiz Expedition were significant foreign policy failures under Charles I, which created tensions with Parliament.
Who did Parliament hold accountable for Charles I’s foreign policy failures?
Parliament focused on George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, as the architect of these failures.
How did Charles I view the causes of his foreign policy failures?
Charles I believed that insufficient parliamentary funding caused the failures, while MPs blamed mismanagement and corruption.
What event made Buckingham the target of impeachment?
Buckingham’s role in foreign policy failures, including the unpopular anti-Protestant use of English ships against the Huguenots of La Rochelle, made him the target of impeachment.
Which MPs led the impeachment effort against Buckingham?
Sir John Eliot and Sir Dudley Digges led the impeachment effort in the Commons.
What role did the Earl of Bristol play in the impeachment proceedings?
The Earl of Bristol exposed Charles’s actions during the 1623 Spanish Match, including bribery and promises to English Catholics, which undermined Buckingham and implicated Charles indirectly.
How did Charles I respond to the Earl of Bristol’s testimony?
Charles charged Bristol with treason, but this backfired when Bristol presented evidence against Buckingham to the Lords.
What accusations did MPs make against Buckingham during the Commons Protestation?
MPs accused Buckingham of deceiving Parliament, acting against Protestant interests, damaging the king’s reputation, and causing scandal.
What criticism did John Glanvile, MP, make against Buckingham?
John Glanvile criticised Buckingham for misrepresenting the use of English ships and concealing their deployment by the French King against Protestants.
How did Charles I react to the impeachment proceedings?
Charles dissolved the 1626 Parliament to protect Buckingham and avoid impeachment proceedings, reflecting his absolutist tendencies.
What financial measures did Charles rely on after dissolving Parliament in 1626?
Charles relied on non-parliamentary financial measures, such as forced loans, to maintain royal authority.
What irony surrounded Buckingham’s role in the impeachment process?
Buckingham had revived the impeachment process earlier in Charles’s reign but became its target in 1626.
How did the impeachment crisis reflect tensions between absolutism and constitutionalism?
The crisis highlighted the clash between Charles’s belief in divine-right monarchy and Parliament’s attempts to assert its constitutional role in governance.
What role did patronage play in the impeachment crisis?
Buckingham’s dominance of court politics symbolised the problems of favoritism and the corruption of governance.
Why was the use of English ships against La Rochelle controversial?
It alienated MPs and Protestant public opinion, as it undermined trust in royal governance by supporting anti-Protestant forces.
How did Charles’s actions during the impeachment crisis exacerbate political instability?
Charles’s behavior, including imprisoning MPs Eliot and Digges and threatening Parliament’s future existence, reinforced perceptions of his absolutist leanings.
What were the long-term implications of the 1626 impeachment crisis?
It eroded trust between Charles and Parliament, set the stage for further constitutional crises, and foreshadowed the breakdown of governance leading to the English Civil War.
What was the “Spanish Match,” and why was it significant?
The Spanish Match was a failed attempt to arrange a marriage between Charles I and a Spanish princess, marked by diplomatic missteps and concessions
What is “prerogative finance,” and how did Charles use it?
Prerogative finance refers to non-parliamentary financial measures like forced loans, used by Charles to bypass parliamentary approval.
How did the impeachment crisis foreshadow the English Civil War?
It exemplified the escalating conflict between monarchy and Parliament, contributing to the breakdown of governance that led to the war.
