How stable was the kingdom inherited by Charles I from his father?

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Lisa Poth                                                                                                 19/10/08

How stable was the kingdom inherited by Charles I from his father?

In 1625 after the death of his father Charles I became king.

But how save was his power? How stable was the situation he faced?

It were difficult times when Charles I came to the throne and inherited not only the kingdom of England but also a quite newborn empire consisting of three kingdoms including England, Ireland and since the Jacobean reign also Scotland.

And there was the first issue, although James I managed certain Anglo-Scottish unification there were still ancient hostility and suspicion on both sides. Whereas the English feared a Scottish invasion, the Scots were anxious to loose their independence.

This anxieties opened big potential of a war within the British Empire.

In addition there was the religious division within Britain.

Since 1534 when Henry VIII had rejected the authority of the pope and made himself “Head of the church” the kingdom suffered religious confusion.

By rejecting the Pope Henry had made himself a Protestant and introduced reformation in England without really believing in either Luther’s or Calvin’s ideas. Henry VIII’s split from the Catholic Church was ruled by personal interest and not by religious spirit and did not bring any change in Church services. These changes were carried out by his son Edward who strengthened Protestant ideas within the English Church during his short reign 1547-53 whereas Henry VIII’s Catholic daughter Mary on the other hand re-introduced Catholicism violently. She came to the throne in 1553 made the pope head of church again and persecuted Protestantism, during her reign 300 Protestants were executed.

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Her successor and half-sister Elizabeth I tried to find a middle-way between Protestants and Catholics. She wanted to satisfy both sides with the “Elizabethan Settlement” of 1559 consisting of two Acts. First the “Act of Supremacy” which made the king “Governor of the Church”, as the Catholics would not accept anyone but the pope as “Head of the Church”. Secondly the “Act of Uniformity” that created a universal “Church of England” including as many people as possible within it. Elizabeth persecuted radical groups on both Catholic and Protestant sides.

But her attempt to please everyone did not work as Elizabeth ...

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