When Charles I issued the writ to convene Parliament on 2nd April 1625 the foundations of his conflict with Parliament were already in place.
Religious tensions from his marriage to catholic Princess Henrietta Maria of France had raised concerns in Parliament that Charles would make concessions to English Catholics.
Charles' and the Duke of Buckingham were keen to mount a military and naval operations against Spain. However this would require additional funds which Parliament were reluctant to provide, concerned the previous funds had been wasted on the ill fated exploits of German Count Ernest von Mansfield.
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| Charles I Parliament 1625 |
The Parliamentary session began in Westminster on 17 May 1625, moving to Oxford in August due to plague in London. Parliament's main concern was not providing funds for Charles, but the impeachment of Lord Buckingham. He was accused of monopolising power, mismanaging royal finances, and as Lord Admiral failing to defend English merchant shipping from piracy.
Ignoring Parliament's calls for Buckingham's impeachment and frustrated at not securing sufficient funding for his activities, Charles dissolved Parliament on 12th August 1525. [1]
Despite the lack of funding, Charles and Buckingham sent 10,000 English troops supported an Anglo-Dutch fleet to attack the Spanish of Cadiz. The expedition launched their attack early November 1625, a venture that ended in failure.
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| Attack on Cadiz |
Religious tensions worsened. An English fleet loaned to Louis XIII was used against his protestant opponents, French Calvinist Huguenots, angering Parliamentarians. Buckingham supported the theological concept of Arminianism, often regarded as being catholic in it's outlook, and it was felt that this was influencing Charles and his court.
It was against a background of suspicion of the Kings' religious intentions, and the failure of the Cadiz expedition, that Charles was forced to convene Parliament as he was desperately short of money.
Parliament began on 6th February 1626 and again proceedings would become dominated by the desire to impeach Buckingham who was blamed for the ongoing religious problems and the failure of the Cadiz expedition. Formal charges were laid before the House of Lords in May. Charles convinced that the Commons would only supply him with funding if Buckingham was removed, decided to save the Duke by dissolving Parliament on 15th June. [2]
Despite the lack of funds, Charles and Buckingham dispatched a second fleet to Spain, which was another failure. Many vessels were unable to sail as they were so poorly equipped, those that did were forced to return to port by violent storms. Charles's woes were exacerbated when news that his uncle the Danish King Christian IV had been defeated in battle by the Catholic League. Despite the desperate financial situation, he looked to help support the Danes.
Charles did not want to call Parliament to raise the funds necessary for his foreign policy aspirations. He therefore imposed forced loans on his wealthier subjects and encouraged the church to preach sermons as to the loans legitimacy based upon his concept of the Divine Right to rule. The loans did raise funds, though they were deeply unpopular and some noblemen refused to pay resulting in their imprisonment with out trial. Charles also imposed martial law to govern sailors and soldiers engaged on expeditions as well as to force citizens to billet troops without their consent.
Whilst the raising of funds was intended to be used to support the Danish King, a worsening of Anglo-French relations over the winter of 1626 to 1627 had developed into conflict. French Protestant Huguenots rebelling against the increasing threat to their religious and political freedoms had appealed to England for assistance. Charles and Buckingham used funds to dispatch an expeditionary force to La Rochelle where the Huguenots were besieged. One again, an expedition that ended in failure.
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| Siege of La Rochelle |
Despite the set back, it was decided to mount another expedition to support the Huguenot's. Lacking funds, Charles was forced to summon Parliament, issuing a summons at the end of January 1628. As a gesture of goodwill the King released those imprisoned for refusing to pay the forced loans.
Parliament went into session on 17th March 1628. They agreed to provide funds to the King in return for him accepting a Petition to Right confirming the rights and liberties regarding taxation, imprisonment without trial, billeting of troops without consent and the use of martial law.
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| Right Of Petition 1628 |
The King eventually agreed to the Petition, however, there was still disagreement over the tonnage and poundage levies, duties paid by merchants on imports and exports, often regarded by monarchs as their right to receive. These levies were essential to the Kings finances and remained unresolved when the Parliamentary sitting ended in June.
During the summer of 1628, Charles assembled a fleet under the command of Buckingham for another expedition to support the French Huguenots at La Rochelle. Buckingham would not however mount the operation, he was murdered by a disgruntled Army officer in August 1628. The fleet sailed under a new commander, but achieved little.
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| Murder of Duke of Buckingham |
Parliament reconvened in January 1629. The issue of the tonnage and poundage levies continued to be main area of disagreement between the King and the Parliamentarians. The dispute resulted in King Charles ordering Parliament to adjourn, to which the Commons refused. Charles responded by having his main opponent Sir John Elliot arrested together with nine other MP's.
Charles disgruntled over the failure to secure the concessions he wanted for the tonnage and poundage levies and angry at the level of opposition from MP's, dissolved Parliament on 10th March 1629. [3]
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| Parliament dissolved |
He would not convene Parliament again for another 11 years, during the intervening period Charles would govern by the Kings personal rule until 1640.
NEXT: Charles visits the North 1633
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Sources: History of Parliament Online - Survey Chapters
[1] The Parliament of 1625 | History of Parliament Online
[2] The Parliament of 1626 | History of Parliament Online
[3] The Parliament of 1628-1629 | History of Parliament Online
Author: Andrew Thrush