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Summary
- Early Life
- Reign
- Later Life and Death
Key Facts And Information
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James VII of Scotland and II of England and Ireland was the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland and his reign is considered as the point of transition to many significant changes of the British monarchy and of religious policies. In his later years, James still retained political power in terms of heads of state by continuing to represent the Jacobite cause, and the religious faith as well.
James VII and II
EARLY LIFE
- James was born on 14 October 1633 at the Palace of St James in London the second living son of Charles I the King of Great Britain and Henrietta Maria the queen. Most of his early political education was influenced by political instability in England in which conflicts between the king and the parliament culminated in the civil war. In contrast, all his life up to twenty-three, he lived in the shadow of the elder brother, later Charles II.
- James was a boy receiving a universal education corresponding to that of the royal prince, such as languages, mathematics, military science as well as religious lessons. His mother nursed him from birth and acted as his caregiver; she too was a Catholic which can be seen influencing him becoming a staunch Catholic and supporting Catholicism when he became a king. He grew up in both England and continental Europe, especially after the execution of his father in 1649 and the royal family’s exile during the Commonwealth.
- James had a military career at a very young age and he fought in the French and the Spanish armies during his family’s exile.
- This experience not only trained his military knowledge, but was also a good exposure to European politics and Catholicism.
- The experiences that James had during his time away from England made him more determined to reclaim the throne for his family and remained committed to the Catholic religion though it caused a lot of problems for him when he became king.
- In 1660, following the restoration of the monarchy under his brother Charles II, James returned to England. He was created Duke of York and Albany and took on several important military and administrative roles, including Lord High Admiral, where he proved himself to be a competent leader. His early naval exploits included commanding fleets during the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars, where he earned a reputation as a capable and brave commander.
- James consequently preserved the aspect of Catholic faith throughout his early life, and much as anti-Catholicism raged throughout England. This religious zeal would prove to be a big problem once he was on the throne and eventually lead to his destitute. It can therefore be concluded that his early adulthood was characterised by war, Exile, duty and his later kingship.
REIGN
- James succeeded to the throne on 6 February 1685 after the death of his brother, Charles II. He was received with both suspicion and enthusiasm as the one who would satiate, or at least partially satisfy, the demands of the Ethiopian people. On one hand, several were concerned about his open support for Catholicism as this would bring back the Catholic Church in England. On the other hand, some people expected that his experience and military knowledge would help to stabilise the Kingdom.
Coronation procession of King James II
- At first, James wanted to establish his monarchical power without offending the Protestants who comprised the majority of the population. He promised Parliament that he would not infringe on the Church of England and also that he will not support Catholicism. Nevertheless, the actions that he started performing in the following weeks were not consistent with such statements. James' adamant move of providing religious freedom to Catholics and Protestant nonconformists was a major problem to the religious and political structures as they saw a threat to the dilution of the Protestant supremacy.
- One of the first major events of the reign of James was the Monmouth Rebellion in June of 1685 which was led by the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II. Monmouth was supported by a fairly large following of Protestant Nonconformists who opposed James’ own divine right to the throne. The uprising was put down and Monmouth with the rest of the rebels was captured and duly executed. However, a rebellion against James that was brutally crushed through the so-called “Bloody Assizes” during which hundreds of rebellion participants were hanged or transported forever gave everyone a clear understanding of what the so-called tyrant was capable of.
- The reign of James was even worse given that he tried to have Catholics assume other governing roles in the military, the government as well as in universities.
- He signed the Declaration of Indulgence in 1687, which also put on hold laws that persecuted Catholics and Protestant nonconformists.
- This was inconsistent with the legislations of the country at that period of time and this resulted in what was considered as abuse of royal prerogative, since it was passed without consultation with the parliament.
- In doing so, James ended up angering even any supporters he had which included many Tories who wanted to remain loyal to the monarchy but who were also strongly against the political policies that James was endorsing including the religious policies.
- More worry arose when James fathered a son, James Francis Edward Stuart who was born on 10 June 1688. If a Catholic male heir is born then another Catholic king in England will be in existence which was alarming for many Protestants who expected James' Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne to be the next king and queen of England. This event led to the Glorious Revolution as it raised concerns about the necessity of removing James as the king since he was likely to endanger Protestantism and the rights of the English people.
- Due to James' perceived overstepping of the line in England, a group of Protestant nobilities invited William of Orange, who happened to be Mary’s husband, to invade England. William arrived in Torbay in November 1688 and James who found desertions in his army and very little political support surrendered to France. This was considered as a resignation and the Parliament voted for the removal of the King from the throne. William and Mary were offered the crown which created the concept of the joint monarchy and the setting up of limitations on the country’s monarchy.
LATER LIFE AND DEATH
- The duration of the rule of James was rather short, however, he left a great mark on the history of Great Britain. It put a stop to further endeavours to re-establish Catholicism in England and finally set the condition for Protestant succession. The policies of James led to the Glorious Revolution which in return became the foundation of modern constitutional monarchy in Britain in the sense that the monarch cannot rule without being accompanied by parliament’s approval.
- As a result, James escaped England and went to France where his cousin, Louis the Fourteenth received him warmly. For his services, James was given a pension and the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye where he spent the rest of his days. Despite being forced into Ireland and abdicating his crown, James did not stop trying to reclaim his kingship because he believed he was ordained to do so and because he was confident in the righteousness of his cause.
- In 1689, James tried one last time to regain his lost kingdom by leading an army into Ireland since he had much support among the Irish Catholics there. He arrived in Ireland in March 1689 and was accepted as the king by the Irish Parliament in Dublin. However, his campaign was terminated with his defeat in the Battle of the Boyne on the 1st of July of the year 1690, where William of Orange overwhelmed the Jacobite army. James had to escape back to France, which caused his critics to refer to him as “James the Coward”.
- In 1689, James tried one last time to regain his lost kingdom by leading an army into Ireland since he had much support among the Irish Catholics there. He arrived in Ireland in March 1689 and was accepted as the king by the Irish Parliament in Dublin. However, his campaign was terminated with his defeat in the Battle of the Boyne on the 1st of July of the year 1690, where William of Orange overwhelmed the Jacobite army. James had to escape back to France, which caused his critics to refer to him as “James the Coward”.
- In 1700 James' health worsened and his desire for Stuart restoration dealt another blow by signing of the treaty of Ryswick that ended the nine-year war between France and the Grand alliance. It forced Louis XIV to accept William III as the rightful king of England thus ceasing the French support for the Jacobites. This diplomatic setback was the final nail in the coffin to James' desire of regaining the throne.
- James VII and II passed on 16 September 1701 at the age of 67. He was then buried at the Saint Edmund’s Chapel in the Church of the English Benedictines in Paris. It was the end of an age, but the fight for the Jacobite cause certainly did not end with his passing. His son James Francis Edward Stuart and his grandson – Charles Edward Stuart known as “Bonnie Prince Charlie” would rise to the British throne and would cause further Jacobite rebellions in the eighteenth century.
- James' legacy is complex. He is best remembered as a regretted king whose religious sentiments and political blunders caused his ousting as well as the banishment of Catholics from the British monarchy permanently. Nevertheless, he is also viewed as the one who did not give up his values even when everything was against him. He is a symbol of the transition that has occurred in the British monarchy, and in the religious culture of the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was James VII and II?
James VII of Scotland and II of England was the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 to 1688. He was the last Catholic monarch of these countries.
- Why is he called James VII and II?
He is known as James VII in Scotland because he was the seventh King James to rule there, but he is James II in England and Ireland because he was only the second King James in those territories.
- What religion did James follow?
James was a Roman Catholic, which made him controversial because most of the people and the ruling class in England and Scotland were Protestant.