Dad Liked Me Best! Stuart Brothers on the Throne (ep 58)

The four generations of Stuart reign—James I, his son Charles I,
his sons Charles II and James II, and James’s daughters Mary and
Anne—represented a manifestation of chaos and conflict.
Particularly in the reigns of the male Stuarts, the battles
between Catholic and Protestant, King and Parliament, and England
and the continent rocked the country, weakened the peace and
prosperity, and threatened future of the monarchy (in fact,
eliminated the monarchy for a period of time!).

Two sets of siblings sat on the throne during the Stuart regime:
brothers Charles II and James II and sisters Mary and Anne. Their
relationships and their reigns reimagined the monarchy, the role
and power of Parliament, and the place of England on the world
stage.

Stuart sibling rule: it changed everything.

Royal brothers Charles and James lived through one of the most
turbulent periods of the monarchy: the declaration of war between
Parliament and King, and years of a Civil War. Both brothers
supported their father and ultimately fled the country to stay
safe and keep trying to return.

After Cromwell's death, Parliament invited Charles to return and
take the throne. Determined to recreate the magnificence of royal
rule, Charles created new coronation regalia, established a
glittering court, and earned the nickname "The Merry Monarch."
But he also had to deal with plague, the Great Fire, and the lack
of legitimate children. He'd had to give some power to Parliament
and couldn't enact the pro-Catholic legislation he wanted to.
Eventually, he became a Catholic on his death-bed and left the
throne to his Catholic brother, James.

King James II's religious views were well-known by the time he
came to the throne, and rebellions against him came quickly. He
prevailed, but when he sought to marry a second time and possibly
have a son who would prevent his Protestant daughter Mary from
inheriting the throne, things came to a head. After his son was
born, Parliament invited Mary and her husband William to "invade"
England and take the throne. The King's support faded and he
fled, leaving the throne to joint rulers William and Mary.

The two Stuart brothers had seen England through some of its most
turbulent times: battles of religion, plague, fire, threats from
abroad, rebellions at home. Charles II was invited back to
restore the monarchy; William and Mary were invited to invade and
end the reign of James II. Their reigns changed everything.


History shows us what's possible.