Joshua Bennett
Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558 to 1603, was known for her persecution of Catholics during her rule. Her successor, James VI of Scotland (James I of England), was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was baptised in a Catholic ceremony. James was the last Catholic monarch to rule England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and the Bill of Rights of 1689 declared that no Roman Catholic could ascend the English throne.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Kings after Queen Elizabeth I | 1 (James II) |
| Name of the Catholic King | James II of England, James VII of Scotland, and Ireland |
| Reign | 1685-1688 |
| Reason for deposition | Conflicts over religion, struggles over the principles of absolutism and divine right of kings |
| Religious policies | Pro-Catholic, suspended the Test Acts, imposed cruel punishments |
| Successors | Two Protestant daughters |
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What You'll Learn
- James I and VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, was the next monarch
- James I's reign saw the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible
- James II was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland
- James II's pro-Catholic policies were opposed by Anglicans
- Elizabeth I's reign saw the persecution of Catholics
James I and VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, was the next monarch
Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, died in 1603. She was unmarried and left no heir, so the crown passed to her cousin, James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England. James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Mary was forced to abdicate in favour of her son, who acceded to the Scottish throne at just thirteen months old.
James was born on 19 June 1566 at Edinburgh Castle. His mother, Mary, was a Catholic, but James was raised as a Protestant. He was brought up in a difficult period for his parents, who faced a rebellion by Protestant noblemen. Darnley secretly allied himself with the rebels and conspired in the murder of the queen's private secretary, David Rizzio, just three months before James was born. James's mother was executed in 1587, after being implicated in a plot to place her on the English throne.
James became king of both Scotland and England in 1603, ruling the two kingdoms in a personal union. He was the first monarch to rule over both countries. Although he tried to unite the two countries politically, Scotland and England remained sovereign states with their own parliaments and laws. James was a thoughtful monarch, known for his commitment to peace and his avoidance of religious wars. He sponsored the translation of the Bible into English, which was later named the Authorized King James Version. He was also the first English king of the House of Stuart, succeeded by his second son, Charles I.
James had seven children with his wife, Anne of Denmark, though only three survived to adulthood: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, Elizabeth, later Queen of Bohemia, and Charles, James's successor. James died in 1625.
After James, the next Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland was James II and VII, who ruled from 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
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James I's reign saw the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible
James I, king of England and Scotland, ascended the throne in 1603, following the death of Queen Elizabeth I. He was the first king to rule both Scotland and England. James was more of a scholar than a man of action, and his reign saw the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible in 1611.
The publication of the Bible was not without its challenges. While it quickly transformed the Anglican Church, it caused problems with the Puritans and their views on the established church. The literary qualities and linguistic impact of the King James Bible have been profound, influencing not only religious practices but also literature and the English language itself. It remains one of the most quoted texts in the English-speaking world.
The King James Bible came to be regarded as an inspired text, and any challenge to its readings was seen as an assault on Holy Scripture. The Bible's influence extended beyond religion, impacting English literature, art, music, and culture. The translation process was a collaborative effort, involving six committees of scholars across three cities.
Before the 17th century, there were no complete English translations of the Bible. Portions of the Bible were translated into English or paraphrased in the current vernacular as early as the seventh century. However, it was during James I's reign that a complete English translation was authorised and published.
To answer your initial question, there was one Catholic king after Queen Elizabeth I, James II, who was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution.
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James II was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland
James II, or James VII of Scotland, was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was king from 1685 until 1688, when he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution. James was the second surviving son of Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France, and he succeeded his elder brother, Charles II, to the throne.
James's reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings. He was a convert to Catholicism, and his ascension caused tension among MPs and the public, who were concerned about a return to papal rule and how a Catholic could serve as the Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church. James's placement of Catholic allies in high positions in the court and army, coupled with the birth of his son, alarmed the Anglican establishment. This ultimately led to the Glorious Revolution, which was engendered by James's Roman Catholicism and permanently established Parliament as the ruling power in England.
James's pro-Catholic policies became a significant concern for Anglicans when the birth of his son opened the possibility of a permanent Roman Catholic dynasty. Threatened by this prospect, several influential Protestants claimed that the child was supposititious and had been smuggled into the Queen's bedchamber in a warming pan. In 1688, a group of seven Protestant nobles invited William, Prince of Orange, to come to England with an army. James believed that his army would be adequate and refused assistance from King Louis XIV of France, but his troops deserted him, and he went into exile in France in December 1688.
In February 1689, a special Convention Parliament declared that James had "vacated" the English throne and installed William and Mary, James's daughter, as joint monarchs. The Parliament of Scotland also declared that James had forfeited the Scottish throne. The abuses charged to James included the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for petitioning the Crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. The Declaration of Right issued by the Convention Parliament denounced James for abusing his power and proclaimed limitations on royal authority.
James attempted to regain his throne by invading Ireland with the assistance of French troops, but he was defeated in the Battle of the Boyne. He returned to France, where he lived out the rest of his life.
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James II's pro-Catholic policies were opposed by Anglicans
James II was the King of England and Ireland as James II and the King of Scotland as James VII. He was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland. James's reign was marked by conflicts over religion, absolutism, and the divine right of kings. His pro-Catholic policies were opposed by Anglicans, who saw them as a threat to the established Church of England.
James's pro-Catholic policies included the appointment of Catholics to key positions in the government, courts, navy, and army. He also ignored laws and waived sentences for Catholic individuals he favoured, which became known as his Dispensing and Suspending Powers. In 1687, James issued the Declaration of Indulgence, also known as the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, in which he used his dispensing power to negate the effect of laws punishing Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters.
James's pro-Catholic policies caused concern among Anglicans, who feared that he was attempting to take the country back to Catholicism. In 1685, James's Parliament, which was predominantly Tory, resisted his wishes to exempt Catholics from the restrictions of the Test Act. James adjourned Parliament in November and prorogued it for over a year and a half until he dissolved it in July 1687.
In April 1688, James re-issued the Declaration of Indulgence and ordered Anglican clergy to read it in their churches. Seven bishops, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, submitted a petition requesting the reconsideration of the King's religious policies. They were arrested and tried for seditious libel. The prosecution of the bishops was seen as an assault on the Church of England, and their acquittal destroyed James's political authority.
The birth of James's son and heir, James Francis Edward Stuart, in June 1688, further increased tensions. The prospect of a permanent Catholic dynasty threatened the succession of James's Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne. This, along with the prosecution of the bishops, led to a general feeling that James's removal was necessary to prevent another civil war.
In November 1688, James was deposed in the Glorious Revolution and replaced by the Protestant William of Orange, who ruled jointly with his wife, Mary, James's daughter.
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Elizabeth I's reign saw the persecution of Catholics
Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603) witnessed a period of persecution for Catholics in England. While Elizabeth initially attempted to accommodate Catholic beliefs in her religious settlement, allowing Catholics to attend church without feeling disloyal to their faith, the situation changed in 1570 with the issuance of the Papal Bull "Regnans in Excelsis" by Pope Pius V. The bull excommunicated Elizabeth, declaring her illegitimate and absolving her subjects from allegiance to her and her laws. This marked a turning point, and the Elizabethan government was forced to adopt a harsher stance towards Catholics.
The publication of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, which detailed the persecution of Anglicans and Nonconformist Protestants during the reign of Elizabeth's half-sister, Queen Mary I, further fuelled anti-Catholic sentiment in England. Elizabeth's subsequent persecution of Catholic Jesuit missionaries led to many executions, with priests like Edmund Campion considered martyrs by the Catholic Church. The entrance of Jesuit priests into England was prohibited by law in 1585, but they continued to enter the country secretly, hoping to convert the population to Catholicism. These priests often lived in hiding, with rich Catholic families constructing "priest holes" to conceal them during searches by the authorities.
Catholics in Elizabethan England faced significant challenges as their Masses were banned, and attendance carried the risk of fines and imprisonment. As a result, Catholics became adept at concealment, with secret Mass-kits and portable altars allowing them to practise their faith discreetly. The Recusancy Acts, dating from Elizabeth's reign, legally coerced citizens to conform to Anglicanism and attend weekly Anglican services, further marginalising Catholics.
The threat posed by Catholic plots against Elizabeth's life, such as the Rye House Plot, and the continuous flow of Jesuit priests into the country, solidified the perception of Catholics as traitors. Elizabeth's ministers, such as Sir Francis Walsingham, zealously advocated for the Protestant cause and sought to persecute Catholics. However, their efforts were often tempered by the Queen, who did not desire to put people to death solely for their religious beliefs. While the extent of persecution under Elizabeth I is evident, it is worth noting that England did not experience major civil wars due to religion during this period.
Following Elizabeth I, there was one more Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland: James II and VII, who reigned from 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. James sought to implement Catholic emancipation and freedom of religion, but his efforts were met with resistance, and his deposition ended the possibility of a Catholic dynasty in England. The Act of Settlement 1701 excluded Catholics from the succession to the throne, ensuring the primacy of the Protestant establishment.
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Frequently asked questions
There was one Catholic king after Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned from 1558-1603. He was James I of England and VI of Scotland, and he ruled from 1603-1625.
James I was baptised in a Catholic ceremony, but he was crowned in a Protestant ceremony.
Yes, James II, who was king of England and Ireland, and king of Scotland as James VII, from 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Yes, James I's mother was Mary, Queen of Scots, and she was Catholic.
