4) The Glorious Revolution. (1688 - 89)

William and Mary Jacobites

Task11. Fill in the gaps while viewing.

England was a predominantly 1)……….. state. Many influential nobles began to look for replacement (замена) for King James II. James’s conversion to Catholicism might have been tolerated (можно было бы терпеть) had it been a purely private matter (сугубо личное дело). James proclaimed religious freedom. This meant that Catholics could take important posts in the state. James’s wife gave birth to a son. There was a perspective of a string of Catholics monarchs on the British throne. People were worried. James’s daughter 2)…. was next in line to the throne. She was a protestant. And so was her 3) ……., William of Orange*, a Dutch Prince. So negotiations followed. William demanded an invitation from influential Protestants. William invaded in 1688. It was a coup. James II fled (бежал) which was interpreted as his abdication from the throne (отречение от престола). To give William more right it was decided he would rule jointly with Mary 4) . ………. passed a document which revolutionized the relations between the crown and Parliament. The Bill of Rights became 5) … ….. of the Glorious Revolution*. It gave the throne to William even though James II was alive. The Bill of Rights, made it absolutely clear that no catholic could be king or queen of England. The Crown became 6) . …. from Parliament. The Bill of Rights forced the monarch to give people more rights: the right to elect Members of Parliament, and the freedom of speech.

Cultural Commentary

* William of Orange - William III & II (1650 – 1702) was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. 

A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France, Louis XIV, in coalition with Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. Largely because of that reputation, William was able to take the British crowns when many were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James. William's victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is still commemorated by the Orange Order. His reign marked the beginning of the transition from the personal rule of the Stuarts to the more Parliament-centred rule of the House of Hanover.

*Glorious Revolution - Glorious Revolution in English history, the events of 1688-89 that resulted in the deposition of James II and the accession of William III and Mary II to the English throne. It is also called the Bloodless Revolution. (The History Today Companion to BRITISH HISTORY – London: Collins & Brown Limited, 1995 – 840 pp)

*Jacobites - Jacobitism was the underground cultural and dynastic movement that supported the restoration of the main line of the Stuart dynasty to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

(The History Today Companion to BRITISH HISTORY – London: Collins & Brown Limited, 1995 – 840 pp)