N/HOUSES-OF-HISTORY/MAIN.HTML# The start of the relationship between Parliament & the Crown

Where do we start the story?

Henry I makes a deal William Rufus died in Either of his brothers, Robert or Henry, might have become the next king. Henry got the barons and church on his side by signing the "Charter of Liberties" or "Coronation Charter". This answered complaints from the barons and church about Rufus's bullying behaviour. With their support, Henry became king. Henry's deal committed him to observing the traditional English laws. But the promises made were largely ignored for the next 100 years, until the time of King John.

King John in trouble King John was not a very successful king.  He lost large parts of France in battles.  This made John unpopular with the English nobles, who called him "Lack land" and "Soft sword" – but only behind his back. John also argued with the Pope and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton In 1213, Langton reminded English nobles about the Charter of Liberties and the freedoms it guaranteed. By this time, John's failures in war had left him short of money: He raised taxes, imposing the first income tax in England and punishing anyone who objected. The barons rebelled, and with help from the king of Scotland and Prince Louis of France, they took control of London.

Magna Carta - 15 June 1215 John was forced to sign the Great Charter The charter mostly protected the rights of the church and nobility rather than ordinary people, but it set a number of important precedents:  No one could be imprisoned or punished without having a chance to defend themselves in public. The fixed home for this justice was soon the Palace at Westminster.  The charter helped to strengthen the Great Council. It made it clear that taxation had to have its consent.  It also made clear that the Council could speak for the whole country and stand against the king if it was necessary.  The charter also standardised weights and measures across England, making tax and trade fairer.

John breaks the deal Having signed Magna Carta, King John then completely ignored it. The barons again turned to the French Prince Louis for help and there was war. It looked like the barons might win, and Louis become king of England. But John died in The barons thought they would have more control over John's nine year-old son, Henry, than over French Prince Louis. Henry III was crowned king, on the condition he agreed to Magna Carta

Elizabeth and Parliament Elizabeth worked effectively with Parliament to deal with major issues:  Raising taxes  Elizabethan Religious Settlement  Poor Law There were tensions by the end of Elizabeth’s reign:  MPs hated paying heavy taxes to fund wars with Ireland and Spain  New wealthy merchant class of MPs wanted more power  Questions over how much power the Queen’s ministers should have over Parliament

James I and Parliament James needed to get more money:  His income was less than Elizabeth’s  He was more extravagant  Prices were higher Parliament refused to give James I the regular money that he wanted, so he found other ways of raising money:  Selling honours (a title like Baronet or ‘Sir’)  Selling monopolies (trading rights).