THE STUARTS
Under the Stuart dynasty - which began with the accession 
of James I in 1603 - the sovereign was understood to rule 
by divine right. Kings thought they owed their authority 
to God - an attitude which consistently led to conflict 
with Parliaments. 

Although James I argued fiercely with his parliaments, he 
was too lazy to take complete power for himself. However, 
his son Charles I, who succeeded in 1625, was less inclined to
compromise. He was also stubborn and devious - which increased
distrust of his motives. As a result, during the 1630s he chose to govern without Parliament at all. In 1639, however, he blundered into a war in Scotland which forced him to summon the parliament that would later be known as the Long Parliament.