BBC History - The Life & Times Of The Stuarts 2016_

STUART T

11-

September

Oliver Cromwell

leads troops across

the Irish sea to

subdue “the

rebellious Irish”.

They storm the

town of Drogheda,

killing more than

3,000 citizens

24 March

James VI of Scotland

takes the English

throne, becoming James

VI and I, and uniting the

two countries for the first

time – although the

union isn’t formalised

for more than

another century.

He had already been

king of Scotland

for 36 years

16

December

Cromwell declares

himself Lord

Protector of

England, Scotland

and Ireland,

investing himself with

powers similar to

those of a monarch

3 September

After nearly five years as Lord

Protector, Oliver Cromwell dies

and is replaced by his son

Richard. Facing significant

financial and military issues,

Richard is overthrown the

following May and Parliament

dissolved. Cromwell overthrown.

Charles I’s son Charles is invited

to return from his exile, which he

spent mostly in France and the

Spanish Netherlands

29 May

Charles returns to

London and is

crowned king of

England, having

been regarded

as Scotland’s

king since 1651

February

A plague

outbreak

claims the lives

of an estimated

100,

Londoners

within seven

months. This

represents

15 per cent of

the capital’s

population

January

James VI and I

commissions

a new English

translation of the

Bible. Known as

the King James

Bible, it will be

completed in 1611

when it becomes

the standard text

for the Church

of England

5 November

A group of Catholics plot to

assassinate the king by blowing

up the House of Lords at the

State Opening of Parliament and

restoring Catholicism to the

country. One of the lead plotters,

Guy Fawkes, is arrested and

tortured for two days before

confessing all. Eleven people are

hanged for the crime. As a result,

James VI and I passes laws

removing Catholics’ right to vote

June

William III sails

to Ireland to

confront

James II. He

defeats him

at the Battle of

the Boyne on

1 July, and the

contender to

the throne flees

to France

28

December

Mary Stuart

dies from

smallpox,

leaving William

III to rule alone.

His popularity

with the English

people goes into

swift decline as

a solo monarch

8 March

William III dies two

weeks after falling

from his horse.

Having fathered

no children, the

throne is passed

to Mary’s younger

sister, 37-year-

old Anne

March

The two Acts of

Union are finally

ratified, uniting

England and

Scotland as one

country – the

United Kingdom of

Great Britain

1 August

Anne dies at

Kensington Palace

after a stroke.

Despite 17 or 18

pregnancies, she

leaves no heir. The

throne is passed

to George I,

Elector of Hanover,

ending more

than a century of

Stuart rule

27 April

With Oxford

under siege,

Charles hands

himself to the

Scots. Oxford

surrenders on

24 June, and

in January the

Scots hand

Charles over

to parliament

27 January

Charles I is sentenced to death for high

treason. He is beheaded three days later

outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall in

London. The king requests warm clothing for

“the season is so

sharp as probably

may make me shake,

which some observers

may imagine

proceeds from fear.

I would have no

such imputation”

(^1603 )
1660 1665
1605
(^1707 1702 1694 )
1714
(^1653 1649 1649 )
1658
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Timeline
6
THE STUART YEARS
The rise and fall of the royal house