Editing Monarchy of the United Kingdom (section)

===Personal union and republican phase===
[[File:JamesIEngland.jpg|thumb|right|In 1603 [[James VI and I]] became the first monarch to rule over England, Scotland, and Ireland together.]]
Elizabeth I's death in 1603 ended Tudor rule in England. Since she had no children, she was succeeded by the Scottish monarch [[James VI]], who was the great-grandson of [[Henry VIII]]'s older sister and hence Elizabeth's first cousin twice removed. James VI ruled in England as James I after what was known as the "[[Union of the Crowns]]". Although England and Scotland were in [[personal union]] under one monarch – James I & VI became the first monarch to style himself "King of Great Britain" in 1604<ref>Royal Arms, Styles, and Titles of Great Britain: Westminster, 20 October 1604</ref> – they remained two separate kingdoms. James I & VI's successor, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], experienced frequent conflicts with the English Parliament related to the issue of royal and parliamentary powers, especially the power to impose taxes. He provoked opposition by [[Personal rule|ruling without Parliament]] from 1629 to 1640, unilaterally levying taxes and adopting controversial religious policies (many of which were offensive to the Scottish [[Presbyterians]] and the English [[Puritans]]). His attempt to enforce [[Anglicanism]] led to [[Bishops' Wars|organised rebellion in Scotland]] and ignited the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]]. In 1642, the conflict between the king and Parliament reached its climax and the [[English Civil War]] began.{{Sfnp|Fraser|1975|pp=214–231}}

The Civil War culminated in the execution of the king in 1649, the overthrow of the English monarchy, and the establishment of the [[Commonwealth of England]]. Charles I's son, [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], was proclaimed King of Great Britain in Scotland, but he was forced to flee abroad after he invaded England and was defeated at the [[Battle of Worcester]]. In 1653, [[Oliver Cromwell]], the most prominent military and political leader in the nation, seized power and declared himself [[Lord Protector]] (effectively becoming a military dictator, but refusing the title of king). Cromwell ruled until his death in 1658, when he was succeeded by his son [[Richard Cromwell|Richard]]. The new Lord Protector had little interest in governing, and he soon resigned.{{Sfnp|Cannon|Griffiths|1988|pp=393–400}} The lack of clear leadership led to civil and military unrest, and to a popular desire to restore the monarchy. In 1660, the [[Stuart Restoration|monarchy was restored]] and Charles II returned to Britain.{{Sfnp|Fraser|1975|p=232}}

Charles II's reign was marked by the development of the first modern political parties in England. Charles had no legitimate children and was due to be succeeded by his Roman Catholic brother, [[James, Duke of York]]. A parliamentary effort to exclude James from the [[Succession to the British throne|line of succession]] arose; the "Petitioners", who supported exclusion, became the Whig Party, whereas the "Abhorrers", who opposed exclusion, became the [[Tory Party]]. The Exclusion Bill failed; on several occasions, Charles II dissolved Parliament because he feared that the bill might pass. After the dissolution of the Parliament of 1681, Charles ruled without a Parliament until his death in 1685. When James succeeded Charles, he pursued a policy of offering religious tolerance to Roman Catholics, thereby drawing the ire of many of his Protestant subjects. Many opposed James's decisions to maintain a large standing army, appoint Roman Catholics to high political and military offices, and imprison [[Seven Bishops|Church of England clerics who challenged his policies]]. As a result, a group of Protestants known as the [[Immortal Seven]] invited James II & VII's daughter [[Mary II of England|Mary]] and her husband [[William III of Orange]] to depose the king. William obliged, arriving in England on 5 November 1688 to great public support. Faced with the defection of many of his Protestant officials, James fled the realm and William and Mary (rather than [[James Francis Edward Stuart|James II & VII's Catholic son]]) were declared joint Sovereigns of England, Scotland and Ireland.{{Sfnp|Fraser|1975|pp=242–245}}

James's overthrow, known as the [[Glorious Revolution]], was one of the most important events in the long evolution of parliamentary power. The [[Bill of Rights 1689]] affirmed parliamentary supremacy and declared that the English people held certain rights, including freedom from taxes imposed without parliamentary consent. The Bill of Rights required future monarchs to be Protestants and provided that, after any children of William and Mary, Mary's sister [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne]] would inherit the Crown. Mary II died childless in 1694, leaving William III & II as the sole monarch. By 1700, a political crisis arose, as all of Anne's children had died, leaving her as the only individual left in the line of succession. Parliament was afraid that the former James II or his supporters, known as [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]], might attempt to reclaim the throne. Parliament passed the [[Act of Settlement 1701]], which excluded James and his Catholic relations from the succession and made William's nearest Protestant relations, the family of [[Sophia, Electress of Hanover]], next in line to the throne after his sister-in-law Anne.{{Sfnp|Cannon|Griffiths|1988|pp=439–440}} Soon after the passage of the Act, William III & II died, leaving the Crown to Anne.