Royally Screwed: British Monarchy Revealed Read Online Free
Author: Jacalynne Flax, Debbie Finger, Alexandra Odell
ultimately the power to be reckoned with.
In 1649, King Charles I plunged England into a terrible civil war. The basis of this war centred on liberty (the King did as he wished and the people felt they had none) and taxes. (The King kept raising them and the people kept paying them.) The King raised an army to fight against parliament and his people. He was not without support and even though many men perished so that he could remain on the throne, he was eventually captured by the Reformists and taken to trial to answer for the following crimes ‘Treason, Tyranny and Murder’. The court that was assembled to try him would only have been recognized in Australia by the Kangaroo!!
But let’s face it – what kind of justice could there be for this man? He declared that he didn’t recognize the court (sounds familiar? Think Saddam 2006) . In his opinion, he was only answerable to one person… and that was God. Unfortunately, God was unavailable and so whether he liked it or not, the King would have to answer to this very mortal court, if he was allowed to speak in his defense, which he wasn’t. Every time he opened his mouth to talk the crowd drowned him out.
Once captured, he was even more dangerous to Parliament and the people than he was when he was King (at the risk of repeating myself… think Saddam 2006) and they had little choice but to sentence him to death and do it as quickly as possible, before someone raised an army and there would be even more bloodshed. No-one had ever cut off the head of a King before. They probably weren’t even sure if he would DIE. Over half of the men on the tribunal bench never even showed up to sentence him, they were so terrified. These were ruthless and violent times and out of it came a new fundamental law which replaced the conventions by which Monarchy operated. It was the creation of this new law, finally giving freedom and rights to the peasants. That became the underlying foundation adopted by the Republic of America, 100 years later. The people had asserted their power and showed they were an army to be respected. They were a powerful force and ultimately England was a better place for a peasant to live. Royalty had been constrained and removed and would never be the same again.
Strange as it seems, after everything it had been through, England missed its Monarch. So after 10 years the country’s new “Protector”, Oliver Cromwell, a clever politician and man of the people, died and England was ready to reinstate a new King.
They brought back the son of the King they had just beheaded, Charles II. Only this time he was to have no real power, he couldn’t tax, he couldn’t create laws he was a constitutional Monarch, a titular figure, who lived at the largesse of his people, and all he really had to do was smile and wave and not fall off his horse.
He died without leaving an heir apparent. He had 14 illegitimate children but none born on the right side of the sheets, so he left the throne to his brother, James, who was a devout Catholic. The country ended its relationship with the House of Stuart and found a new House of Hannover which was German and Protestant. So if you wondered why the Royal family never spoke English and had such a strong allegiance with Germany that is the reason why.
Things stayed pretty much the same until 1936, when England came perilously close to a civil war again, this time when Edward VIII challenged the constitutional law by attempting to grant himself the right to marry a twice divorced woman whose husband was still living, and was certainly no virgin (should we mention the name Camilla here?) . He had no concern for the legal rights of the Monarchy. His only concern was for himself (should we mention the name Charles here?) .
He attempted to grant the King (himself) all the power and authority which had hitherto belonged to Parliament. Like King Charles
In 1649, King Charles I plunged England into a terrible civil war. The basis of this war centred on liberty (the King did as he wished and the people felt they had none) and taxes. (The King kept raising them and the people kept paying them.) The King raised an army to fight against parliament and his people. He was not without support and even though many men perished so that he could remain on the throne, he was eventually captured by the Reformists and taken to trial to answer for the following crimes ‘Treason, Tyranny and Murder’. The court that was assembled to try him would only have been recognized in Australia by the Kangaroo!!
But let’s face it – what kind of justice could there be for this man? He declared that he didn’t recognize the court (sounds familiar? Think Saddam 2006) . In his opinion, he was only answerable to one person… and that was God. Unfortunately, God was unavailable and so whether he liked it or not, the King would have to answer to this very mortal court, if he was allowed to speak in his defense, which he wasn’t. Every time he opened his mouth to talk the crowd drowned him out.
Once captured, he was even more dangerous to Parliament and the people than he was when he was King (at the risk of repeating myself… think Saddam 2006) and they had little choice but to sentence him to death and do it as quickly as possible, before someone raised an army and there would be even more bloodshed. No-one had ever cut off the head of a King before. They probably weren’t even sure if he would DIE. Over half of the men on the tribunal bench never even showed up to sentence him, they were so terrified. These were ruthless and violent times and out of it came a new fundamental law which replaced the conventions by which Monarchy operated. It was the creation of this new law, finally giving freedom and rights to the peasants. That became the underlying foundation adopted by the Republic of America, 100 years later. The people had asserted their power and showed they were an army to be respected. They were a powerful force and ultimately England was a better place for a peasant to live. Royalty had been constrained and removed and would never be the same again.
Strange as it seems, after everything it had been through, England missed its Monarch. So after 10 years the country’s new “Protector”, Oliver Cromwell, a clever politician and man of the people, died and England was ready to reinstate a new King.
They brought back the son of the King they had just beheaded, Charles II. Only this time he was to have no real power, he couldn’t tax, he couldn’t create laws he was a constitutional Monarch, a titular figure, who lived at the largesse of his people, and all he really had to do was smile and wave and not fall off his horse.
He died without leaving an heir apparent. He had 14 illegitimate children but none born on the right side of the sheets, so he left the throne to his brother, James, who was a devout Catholic. The country ended its relationship with the House of Stuart and found a new House of Hannover which was German and Protestant. So if you wondered why the Royal family never spoke English and had such a strong allegiance with Germany that is the reason why.
Things stayed pretty much the same until 1936, when England came perilously close to a civil war again, this time when Edward VIII challenged the constitutional law by attempting to grant himself the right to marry a twice divorced woman whose husband was still living, and was certainly no virgin (should we mention the name Camilla here?) . He had no concern for the legal rights of the Monarchy. His only concern was for himself (should we mention the name Charles here?) .
He attempted to grant the King (himself) all the power and authority which had hitherto belonged to Parliament. Like King Charles
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