History week 29

The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious doctrine that asserts a monarch’s authority is derived directly from God, making them truthful only to divine authority and not to earthly powers like parliaments or the people. This doctrine had a massive impact on the English monarchy during the ruling of James I, Charles I, and the time of Oliver Cromwell. James I was a strong proponent of the Divine Right of Kings. He believed that kings were God’s partners on Earth and had absolute authority. This belief led him to battle with Parliament over issues like taxation and religious reforms. Charles I inherited his father’s belief in the Divine Right of Kings and took it even further. His reign was marked by constant disputes with Parliament over issues like taxation, religion, and governance. Charles’s attempts to impose religious uniformity and his refusal to work with Parliament led to the English Civil War. His firm belief in his divine right to rule without parliamentary consent ultimately led to his death in 1649. Oliver Cromwell’s rose to power after the execution of Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England. Although Cromwell did not claim divine right in the same way as the monarchs, he was seen by some as having a God-given mission to lead and reform England.