Editing Commonwealth of England (section)

=== Richard Cromwell and the Third Protectorate Parliament ===

On the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, his son, [[Richard Cromwell]], inherited the title, Lord Protector. Richard had never served in the Army, which meant he lost control over the Major-Generals that had been the source of his own father's power.  The [[Third Protectorate Parliament]] was summoned in late 1658 and was seated on 27 January 1659.  Its first act was to confirm Richard's role as Lord Protector, which it did by a sizeable, but not overwhelming, majority.  Quickly, however, it became apparent that Richard had no control over the Army and divisions quickly developed in the Parliament.  One faction called for a recall of the [[Rump Parliament]] and a return to the constitution of the Commonwealth, while another preferred the existing constitution.  As the parties grew increasingly quarrelsome, Richard dissolved it.  He was quickly removed from power, and the remaining Army leadership recalled the Rump Parliament, setting the stage for the return of the Monarchy a year later.

{{anchor|1659–1660}}