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Archive for the ‘Sunday History Lessons’ Category

Relocation to London – London Leaders

Sunday June 10th, 2012

A relocation to London is more than just packing up and finding a new London apartment; it’s moving into history in the making—this year and last year’s grand royal events being prime examples. I got too caught up in the Diamond Jubilee last weekend to continue my Sunday British history series, but in the wake of celebrating the current monarch, today I’m back to explore one of Elizabeth II’s historical predecessors to enhance your relocation to London. Last time, we looked at Queen Anne, successor to joint monarchs William and Mary and the last of the House of Stuart. Today, then, begins the House of Brunswick as a member of its Hanover line succeeds to the throne as King of England: George I.

Relocation to London – The Hanover Handover

George I has been the Elector of the German province of Hanover since 1698. A Protestant, his accession as Great Britain’s’ new monarch in 1714 satisfies the 1701 Act of Settlement that bans Catholics from doing so (and thereby over 50 closer claims to the throne, including Queen Anne’s Catholic brother James). Thus, we see George make a relocation to London of his own as he takes on his new role in a new country. Already in his 50s, George arrives with his opportunist entourage in tow: a slew German advisors and friends, two mistresses (he divorced his wife on grounds of adultery and kept her prisoner in a castle), and German and Turkish servants. Hopefully when you yourself make a relocation to London, you’ll be more keen to assimilate  than George here—he can’t be bothered to learn to speak English and all-around remains decidedly German, spending as much time in Hanover as he can.

Between this and his greedy groupies, King George isn’t the most popular guy in England. A year after his coronation, he already must suppress a Jacobite rebellion seeking to install James Stuart as King, but the protest proves a failure, as does another uprising in 1719. With Tories backing the Jacobites, George turns his favor to the Whig party, which remains dominant for many years to come.

Relocation to London – The Country on Constitutional Cruise Control

King George I‘s lack of interest in British customs and frequent visits home served to leave England on its own for the most part. After the Jacobite rebellion, the nation settles into a period of relative peace, but it’s not totally running on auto-pilot: the first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, is appointed in a brand new role created to rule in the King’s stead. With Walpole’s good governance at the helm (he rescues Britain’s economy after the South Sea Company venture absolutely tanks in 1720, bringing down many investors’ fortunes with it) and Parliament serving as the government’s legislative branch and the King’s ministers its executive branch, Britain is that much closer to achieving a modern constitutional monarchy.

Relocation to London – George Did Do Some Stuff

George actually did contribute some skillful decision in foreign policy matters during the early part of his reign. From 1717 to 1718, he forged an anti-Spain alliance with France, and he and his Whig ministers succeed in keeping the country out of war until a decade into his son’s reign. George I isn’t too keen on this son of his, and the feeling is evidently mutual. Though George II will be George I’s successor (wait, is this the House of Brunswick or Foreman?), the King doesn’t involve his son in much of the government’s affairs. This disdain isn’t to stop George II’s accession to the English throne, however, on his father’s death in 1727.

May all be more amiable in your household if you’re making a relocation to London with family, and may you acclimate to the UK’s culture and traditions better than ol’ George did. :)

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Moving to London: London Leaders

Monday May 28th, 2012

Moving to London involves a lot of planning and research. And while your immediate relocation needs will involve sorting out employment, finding the right London apartment and neighborhood for you, and perhaps getting children situated in new schools if you’re moving to London with a family, the best bit is learning more about London itself.

England is a proud nation that continues to make history with big events coming up like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and summer Olympics, and this British history is something the locals are proud to share with newcomers. My Sunday series here exploring the biographies of Britain’s monarchs is a little preview for you, then, if you’re moving to London and want the gist of its rich royal past.

Moving to London – William & Mary’s Successor

Last Sunday, we briefly reviewed the joint reign of King William III and Queen Mary II. As they had no children, next in line to succeed is Mary’s sister and (King James II‘s daughter) Anne. As Queen Anne was born prior to James II’s conversion to Catholicism, her succession complies with Parliament’s Settlement Act of 1701. She isn’t into antagonizing Parliament anyway, but she does attend most cabinet meetings to hold her Catholic-born half-brother, James, at bay.

Moving to London – Unification and Separation

Queen Anne’s reign seems to be characterized by simultaneous coming together and breaking apart. The most significant event to transpire is the Act of Union in 1707, whereby Scotland joined England to form Great Britain—Anne is therefore the first monarch of Great Britain, with a shared Parliament, flag, and denomination of money though Scotland retains its religious, legal, and educational systems.

As for the divides moving into London and the kingdom at large, Anne’s reign sees two political parties officially develop and diverge: the Whigs and the Tories. Their opposition and fight for control over Parliament and the Queen’s favor tears Anne in two directions, as does the matter of her own heir, which pits her against her own half-brother. Anne is further embroiled in conflict when a close and long-held friendship with Sarah Churchill (wife of the Duke of Marlborough, who led England to several military victories during the War of the Spanish Succession, which began months into Anne’s reign) turns publicly sour. It seems Sarah is too confident in her position as the Queen’s favorite and becomes too big for her britches—in addition to growing overbearing with Anne, she criticizes her in public.

Moving to London – Talk to the Hand, Sarah

As a means of gaining more influence with the Queen, the Tories plant Abigail Hill into her household to win favor over Sarah. Ultimately, tensions between Anne and Sarah do indeed escalate to the point where the Queen dismisses the Duke of Marlborough of his services despite his impressive record and shuns Sarah for her new BFF, Abigail.

And so, Anne has allowed herself to be influenced by favorites and ministers, and though she’d hoped to rule over a balanced government, the Whigs and Tories alternate in dominance, the Tories winning out by the end of her reign…sort of. When Anne dies in 1714—the last monarch of the Stuart line—her named successor is Protestant prince George of Hanover, the Whig’s pick.

Who knew this could be so educational, right? Join me next week, fellow amateur historians, for more rockin’ on with the royals.

Related sightseeing: the Queen’s Closet at Kensington Palace, where Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill had a huge cat-fight pivotal to going their separate ways.

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Moving to London: The Leaders

Sunday May 20th, 2012

Moving to London is more than moving house—it’s moving into a new culture with its own accumulation of history. I cannot even imagine what history lessons must be like here when I think of the millennia and monarchs to be covered versus the couple centuries of US history we were taught. From a homework standpoint, I’m very grateful for that, but as a lifelong learner I’m keen to expand my knowledge of other nations, which is why you get to delight in my mini-History 101 lessons here. :)

If you’re moving to London like I did myself a few years ago, come learn along with me…

Moving to London – Make Way for the House of Orange and Stuart

If you’re researching moving to London and chanced upon my post last week, we saw the overthrow of King James II. He had become uncooperative with Parliament and messed about with private property and historic rights, not to mention converted to Catholicism and posed a threat to the national religion. Enter William III and Mary II. Mary is the daughter of James II and his first wife, born Protestant and thereby Parliament’s preferred choice to James’s younger, Catholic-born son. Though twelve years younger than William, she married him pursuant to foreign policy under Charles II‘s rule. Both grandchildren of Charles I, William and Mary are not only husband and wife but also first cousins. William’s Orange line of the family in the Netherlands does not have the same hereditary rights, but, on Mary’s insistence, in 1689 he is crowned King of England alongside her, the new Queen of England.

Moving to London – A Joint Monarchy

It wasn’t Parliament’s original intention to coronate both William III and Mary II; they really only want Mary. Mary by this point, though, is willingly subservient to her husband—though he’d repulsed her when the arranged marriage first came about, she’s grown to love him and kicks up her wifely duties in response to a long-term affair he held with one of her ladies in waiting. So the good wifey gets her husband a crown, but Parliament ends up effectively getting its way anyway: moving to London‘s palaces doesn’t make William an altogether permanent resident; he is more interested in military campaigns on the continent, leaving Mary to rule as regent in England, where she shares a mutual adoration with its people.

Moving to London – The Bill of Rights and Beyond

Originally called the “Declaration of Rights,” the Bill of Rights outlines Parliament’s grievances with James and new terms limiting the power of the monarchy and enhancing that of Parliament going forward, which William and Mary agree to in the spirit of preventing sovereign abuse of taxation, legislation, and religion. The Toleration Act of 1689 grants Protestant non-conformists the freedom to worship, but the same does not apply to Catholics; Catholics are also barred from ascending the throne to follow assertions of other Parliamentary rights (like forbidding wars without its consent) established by the Settlement Act of 1701. This last measure was in response to William’s costly conquests on the Continent in his “Grand Alliance” against France.

Mary II ultimately dies of smallpox in 1694, leaving William bereaved and ruling alone until 1702, when he himself dies after falling off a horse. They were childless, so join me next Sunday to find out who succeeds to the throne if you’re moving to London and eager to learn more about its substantial history.

Related sightseeing if you’re moving to London: Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace, where the monarchs resided (the latter is where William fatally fell of his horse), and Westminster Abbey where they were coronated.

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Moving to London: More London Leaders

Sunday May 13th, 2012

If you’re moving to London (or maybe already have) and ever previously followed my Weekend Warrior Sunday series, whoa!! Has it seriously been since the first of year that I’ve left you hangin’ on King James II?? Uh, sorry about that. I’ve been on a months’-long hiatus with blogging as I’ve helped London Relocation with its new website content—for this, the redesigned site, as well as its newly launched pet relocation site and pending one for businesses whose employees are moving to London. At any rate, I’m baaaaaaaack and with a vengeance, just like James II‘s opposers, apparently…

An inevitability of moving to London is encountering its history in every step you take. There is no avoiding a monument here or a plaque there and historic buildings all around that remind you of all the city’s layers of time. Today, we’re ripping up the modern-day pavement to peel back centuries of sediment and new construction to peek at 1665.

Friends in High Places

Already in 1665, his first year of reign, James II has discontinued meetings of Parliament to rule on his own. He appoints Catholics in prominent political, military, and academic places to promote the religion over Protestantism. And it’s in 1667 that he takes his measures for religious tolerance further by issuing a Declaration of Indulgence that he requires all Anglican clergy to recite to their congregations.

The Situation Gets Heir-y

By 1688, in only three years’ time James II has managed to alienate the nobility and burgeoning commercial class largely due to his imposing religious views. To make things more complicated, he has an adult daughter, Mary, who is Protestant and therefore who Parliament wishes to see succeed James’s throne. James’s second wife, however, gives birth to a Catholic son, James Francis Edward. Consider Parliament nervous. But they don’t take a seemingly assured Catholic succession lying down. They appeal to Mary and her husband William of Orange to come to England and assume the throne—in a weird twist of the family tree, they are both rightful heirs. So, William lands in Devon with an army, and as they’re moving in to London, James II is fleeing out of it to avoid capture—he’s alienated his own army and navy by this point, after all, so no one’s got his back.

Reconciled to Exile…Eventually

James doesn’t quite get away with it. He is indeed captured, but William goes easy on him and allows him a safe journey to France to live in exile. In 1689, Parliament renders his throne abdicated and jointly coronates William and Mary the King and Queen of England. James hasn’t given up yet, though; he makes his way to Ireland to assemble French-backed troops there. William’s forces defeat him, however, at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, so James lives the rest of his life (just over another decade) in exile in France.

Well, if you’re moving to London, hopefully your movements to and from the UK go a bit more smoothly, hey? No need for drama when your loyal London Relocation agent is there to ensure a smooth transition every step of the way. So use the time you’re saving on moving to expand your knowledge on its history—join me here next Sunday for more bite-sized bits!

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James II, King of England

Sunday January 1st, 2012

Hello there, Weekend Warriors! Continuing with our British history lessons on Britain’s monarchs (if you’re relocating to London and wanting to learn more about it), today we meet the successor of King Charles II: James II.

Like his brother Charles, James II was exiled to France when Cromwell took over as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth in Britain. When Charles II returned to restore the monarchy, James likewise came back and was ultimately named Charles II’s heir to the throne. This had initially met with resistance given James II’s Catholic faith, but Charles II’s efforts in his later years to secure his brother’s position were not in vain: as James takes to the throne in 1685, he inherits a Tory-dominated Parliament and strong executive office. You might recall from my last Weekend Warrior Sunday post that King Charles II did indeed have sons; the reason his brother James is now king is because none of Charles’s sons were born to his wife. Ah, such technicalities…

As a result, early in King James II‘s reign, he faces resistance from one of his illegitimate nephews vying for the throne, the Duke of Monmouth. This Protestant rebellion is squashed after the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685, and Judge Jeffries presides over the “Bloody Assizes” in doling out punishment in the form of execution, torture, or slavery; the Duke of Monmouth himself is beheaded gruesomely. It’s only a matter of time, though, before King James II meets more resistance, and from within his government at that. His appointments of Catholics in high places is looked on with disfavor, and he loses his Tory support. Doh!

Join me next week to see how this King of England fares through the rest of his reign as opposition stacks against him. And as you wage your own battle against the London property market in implementing your international relocation to London, enlist the services of the London Relocation agency to make sure all runs in your favor.

 

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Charles II

Sunday December 4th, 2011

It’s that crazy time again, Weekend Warriors, when we delve into British history as part of your cultural prep for your upcoming international relocation to London. Last week, we introduced King Charles II, whose father Charles I had been kicked to the curb by those seeking commonwealth versus monarchical rule, which had paved the way for Oliver Cromwell to become Lord Protector. Well, now that both Charles I and Oliver are dead, and Oliver’s son Richard has in turn been kicked to the curb to restore the monarchy, it’s the latest episode of “Charles II in Charge.” (Huh, this is the last place I’d ever think I could make a Scott Baio reference…)

Anyway. Last we saw, Charles II‘s reign was seein’ some tough times: plague, fire, and defeat in war. This Second Anglo-Dutch War had been instigated by the British capture of New Amsterdam—in the New World—from the Dutch in 1664. In 1665, New Amsterdam was reincorporated as New York under British law. Nonetheless, in ultimately losing to the Dutch in 1667, Charles II now seeks an alliance with France against them, securing a secret treaty with King Louis XIV in 1670. In doing so, Charles II agrees to support the French against the Dutch in the Third Anglo-Dutch War of 1672-1674 as well as promises to restore England as a state of Catholicism. In return, France pays subsidies to him, which he’s in need of given Parliament’s current domination of government, thus, tight hold on the king’s purse strings.

Anti-Catholicism is on the rise again in England, however, and it’s an issue that the Whig party uses to undermine the king. In addition to his perhaps not-so-secret alliance with France, Charles II has bred plenty of illegitimate children, but he has none with his actual wife, so his closest heir is his Catholic brother James. Parliament tries in vain to pass an exclusion bill that would prevent Catholics from holding public office, and Charles II spends his remaining years defending his brother’s right to the throne and winning the support of the Tory party. Tensions between the king and Parliament are further heightened by his attempts at becoming a sole ruler—which he does become after dissolving Parliament in 1681. A few years later, Charles II suffers a stroke and subsequent complications; he converts to Catholicism on his death bed in 1685.

Well, whatever your religious or political views, your London Relocation agent will make sure no tensions arise during your London apartment search; London rent prices could figuratively cause a stroke, so London Relocation will negotiate that down for you and keep you in charge of the process, not the London lettings agents or landlords. (How’s that for a none-too-subtle plug?)

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King Charles II

Sunday November 27th, 2011

Hey there, Weekend Warriors! It’s another Sunday round-up of the monarchs that have shaped London, England’s history, a bit of cultural food-for-thought as you prepare your international relocation to London. Last week, we saw the restoration of the monarchy after two “terms” of Commonwealth rule under Oliver Cromwell and his son Richard Cromwell. Today, we’ll meet King Charles II, who finally assumes his rightful seat on the throne long after his father Charles I had been executed to make way for Commonwealth rule.

If you recall, civil war broke out in England under Charles I‘s reign, at which time Charles II was only twelve. Nonetheless, at age fourteen Charles II was already appointed as nominal commander in chief in western England. As tensions surrounding his father’s monarchical rule culminated, young Charles II was forced into exile on the European continent. It was in 1650, the year after his father’s execution, that Charles II struck a deal with the Scots to become King of Scotland, and he invaded England under this authority yet was defeated by Oliver Cromwell in 1651.

Having retreated back into exile, it is not until 1660 that Charles II is now invited to return to us in England and be crowned as King. King Charles II is rather lenient on those responsible for his father’s execution back in 1649—less than ten of the conspirators are executed. He also must exude a great degree of political tolerance considering that, though the citizenry is elated to have a monarch again, Parliament now assumes most of the control. Thus paves the way for a modern concept of government as the civil war factions that had emerged during Charles I’s reign ultimately evolve into political parties (the Cavaliers ultimately become the Tory Party and the Roundheads the Whig Party). Charles II’s tolerance extends into religious affairs as well, partially because of his own Catholic leanings.

King Charles II has a doozy of a first few years of rule. Contrary to the “Great” part of the nicknames given to a couple of them, the major events that transpire are really quite awful. 1665 is the Great Plague, and 1666 is the Great Fire. Then in 1667, England loses its war against the Dutch. See what I mean?

Join me next Sunday for the continuation of our exploration of King Charles II’s reign. And in the meantime, breath easy knowing that your London Relocation agent will ensure you reign victorious over what could otherwise be a dreaded London apartment search! It’ll be a great experience for you, and by “great,” I really mean it this time! No verbal irony. ;)

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London Leaders – Oliver Cromwell

Sunday November 20th, 2011

If you’re moving to London, it’s in the spirit of an international relocation to broaden your historical and cultural knowledge. That’s why we run our weekly Weekend Warrior Sunday series here, so you can already get acquainted with Britain’s past monarchs as  you prepare for your London move. Last week, we finished reviewing the Commonwealth rule of Oliver Cromwell, England’s Lord Protector in place of the traditional monarchy. Dying of illness, Cromwell named his son Richard Cromwell as his heir.

Richard is actually Oliver’s third son, but the deaths of his older brothers have made him next in line. Previously a gentleman farmer, he inherits his father’s role as Chancellor of Oxford University and, thus introduced into public life, proceeds to become a member of the Council of State as well as House of Lords. Becoming Lord Protector of the Realm in 1658, Richard faces opposition from military leaders, and government structure fluctuates as pressures are placed on him. A Rump Parliament is reestablished in place of the Protectorate, then dissolved, then reinstated yet again—General Monck has led the charge on this and also reopens Parliament’s doors to members who had been driven out a decade earlier.

Monarchy is restored as the former (executed) King Charles I‘s son, Charles II, is invited to assume the throne as king in 1660, forcing Richard to abdicate. He settles for a long while in France under an assumed name. Whereas it sends Richard away, the restoration of the monarchy shockingly brings the deceased Oliver Cromwell back into the picture. In 1661, a mob raids Westminster Abbey to exhume Oliver Cromwell’s remains. Though Cromwell had lost his life to natural causes, his body is now hanged in Tyburn and decapitated as a symbolic posthumous execution. His head is mounted on a stake in front of Parliament while his body is tossed into an unmarked grave.

As for Richard, when permitted to reenter England without consequence in 1680, he continues to live a quiet, humble life of anonymity. He dies at the age of eighty-five in 1712.

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Oliver Cromwell: London Leaders

Sunday November 13th, 2011

We’re back with another installment of our Weekend Warrior Sunday series in case you’re making an international relocation to London and as interested in learning its past as you are finding that ideal London apartment. Last weekend, we learned how Oliver Cromwell came to help overthrow the monarchy and himself become not King but Lord Protector over the land.

In the time leading to when Cromwell adopts this title in 1657, he has made certain strides. He has put an end to wars against Portugal and Holland by 1654, and, by 1658, his alliance with France leads to victory over Spain at the Battle of the Dunes. From a religious standpoint, he has established Puritanism, restructured the Church, and readmitted Jews into his territory, overall demonstrating a higher level of religious tolerance than the nation has previously seen.

With the good always seems to come the bad, however. The wars against the Dutch were costly, as is maintaining a standard army in general—let’s face it: financially, the government at this point is strapped. With the ineffectiveness of the different Parliaments formed during this period of England’s history, it seems the Commonwealth is not proving as successful a solution as hoped. Inconsistencies have emerged as Cromwell tries to please everyone and as a result satisfies no one; some aspects of the “new” constitution are therefore perhaps not as progressive as hoped as government struggles to reconcile implementation of the new with the old. As historian Lacey Baldwin Smith put it (far better than I):

“When Commons was purged out of existence by a military force of its own creation, the country learned a profound, if bitter, lesson: Parliament could no more exist without the crown than the crown without Parliament. The ancient constitution had never been King and Parliament but King in Parliament; when one element of that mystical nion was destroyed, the other ultimately perished.”

At any rate, Oliver Cromwell dies in 1658, leaving his son Richard to succeed him. Ah, but it wouldn’t be proper British history if there isn’t a morbid spin on this tale…we’ll delve into that chronologically next week as we see how Richard Cromwell’s reign goes. In the meantime, let’s just say, “posthumous execution.” Bleh.

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London Leaders – Oliver Cromwell

Sunday November 6th, 2011

If you think planning an international relocation to London is tumultuous, so is London’s history. Last weekend, our Weekend Warrior Sunday series bid adieu to King Charles I as Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army crush the monarchy.With Charles I duly executed, Cromwell tries to gain conservative support by squashing radical rebellion throughout the UK, including uprisings in Ireland, during which a huge percentage of indigenous Irishmen are massacred. Scottish supporters of Charles I’s son, Charles II, are likewise suppressed, which brings an end to civil war. The year prior to the King’s execution, the Long Parliament had been reduced to a “Rump” Parliament when over one hundred members were forced out by Cromwell’s army and even more so refused to take their seats out of opposition to the army’s action. In the years to follow, the Rump Parliament has dismantled much of the existing government structure and rules England along with an executive Council of State. By 1653, however, Cromwell dissolves this Rump Parliament due to its ineffectiveness over time. He summons a new Parliament, which proves just as useless, so by 1655, Cromwell decides to shed Parliament altogether and rule on his own just as Charles I had done. He is offered the crown in 1657, but he refuses it. Rather than become “King,” he takes on the title of “Lord Protector.” Join us next Sunday to see how England’s Lord Protector fares as the monarchy isessentially restored in all but name.

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Weekend Warrior Sunday: London Leaders

Sunday October 30th, 2011

 

The trial of Charles I, King of England – London Relocation Services – Image via Wikipedia

Welcome back, Weekend Warriors-o-mine, and thanks for taking a break from your international relocation preparations to get your weekly dose of British history. It’s good to know some background on your new country if you’re moving to London, no? Two Sundays ago, I’d introduced King Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and we had left him in a bit of a bind.

Well, it only gets worse for him. He’s been ruling on his own for about a decade now after dissing Parliament and the nobility. He’s made mistakes before, but the real doozy is when he tries to enforce a new prayer book on the Scots. They aren’t having it. Rebellion ensues, and Charles I‘s 11 years of personal rule end when he has no choice but to summon Parliament for the funds necessary to fight. Yet, due to disagreement over adequate funding, Charles tries to arrest five members of Parliament. The disputes over supremacy come to a head in 1642 when Charles I raises the royal standard against Parliament in Nottingham in 1642, and civil war breaks out.

Two factions emerge: the Cavaliers, in support of the monarchy, and the Roundheads, in support of Parliament. The Cavaliers are backed financially by peasantry and Episcopalian nobility, whereas the Roundheads are backed by Puritanical tradesmen and the growing middle class—and from the more prosperous provinces, no less, so they have a significant advantage in terms of funding and population. Oliver Cromwell leads the charge of the New Model Army on behalf of the Roundheads, and they defeat the Cavaliers handily in 1645. Charles I surrenders to the Scots the following year and is handed over to Parliament, but he then escapes to the Isle of Wight, which sparks a “Second Civil War”; this lasts less than a year, brought to an end by another Cromwell victory.

Cromwell and fellow radical members of Parliament feel peace will never exist so long as the King lives, so Charles is tried for treason in 1648 and executed in 1649. England is now on its way to becoming a republic… Join me next time, and good luck with your London relocation planning in the meantime!

Related London sightseeing: The Banqueting House on Whitehall in London, where King Charles I was executed on 30 January 1649.

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Weekend Warrior Sunday: London Leaders

Sunday October 16th, 2011

Hiya, Weekend Warriors! If you’re making an international relocation to London and looking to learn more about its history, you’ve come to the right place. Continuing on with our weekly overview of Britain’s monarchs, last week we parted ways with King James I to now usher in the reign of his second son, King Charles I.

At the age of 25, Charles I assumes the throne upon his father’s death in 1625, consequently becoming King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He unfortunately steps into the financial troubles James has left behind along with costs of wars abroad, and, like father-like son, he and Parliament are at odds with one another. Charles does not offer the nobility his support, catering more so to the wishes of his influential friend, the Duke of Buckingham, who is assassinated in 1628. Charles proceeds to summon and dissolve Parliament three times by 1629 before dissolving it for a longer 11-year stint and ruling on his own. This non-parliamentary rule is obviously frowned upon by the citizenry, and his means of raising revenues (e.g., selling commercial monopolies and imposing fees on towns building warships) is likewise controversial. He is further unpopular among the Puritan nobility given his endorsement of High Anglican worship and marriage to the Catholic daughter of the King of France. Many Puritans and Catholics emigrate to the American colonies during this time.

Ah, but there’s more trouble a-brewin’ on the horizon for ol’ Charlie…his personal reign is about to come to an end as unrest in Scotland delivers another noteworthy historical figure instrumental to this king’s demise. Any guesses? Join me next Sunday for the next episode in this chapter of Britain’s past, and, even sooner, contact our London Relocation agents to discuss your future!

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King James I: London Leaders

Sunday October 9th, 2011

Welcome back, Weekend Warriors, to another installment of our British history lesson series in case you’re making an international relocation to London in the future and don’t know where to begin understanding its past. Last week, we met King James I, who is in the middle of a major religious drama known as the Gunpowder Plot.

“Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot…”

Yes, folks, we’re less than one month away from celebrating the 406th anniversary of this infamous conspiracy to blow up King James I and his Parliament because James has not been as lenient on the Catholics as they’d hoped. The Gunpowder Plot is thwarted on 5 November 1605 when our man Guy Fawkes is caught en route to lighting the powder kegs. Doh! The conspirators are tried and duly executed, but the whole incident has obviously given Catholics a bad name, so anti-Catholic sentiment carries on with a fresh vengeance throughout the kingdom.

One of James I’s notable contributions to religion is his authorized version of the Bible, which dates from 1611 and is still commonly known today as the King James Bible. More religous conflict is a-brewin’ in England, however, as, just like the Catholics, the Puritans are disappointed in James. They’d hoped that he would bring to England some of the more extreme ideas of the Scottish church, and James is rather annoyed with their demands. This results in a pilgrimage of Puritans initiated in 1620—those of you expats moving to London from the US, perhaps you’ve heard of it? They departed Plymouth, England on this ship called the Mayflower? Crossed this ocean called the Atlantic? Landed on the northeast coast of this country called America? Settled there as a colony in what is now called Plymouth, Massachusetts? Yeah? Ring a bell? Cool.

Right. So, anyway, James I and his divine-right-of-kings attitude continues to alienate Parliament, and it’s made that much worse because of James’s excessive spending and clumsy handling of foreign policy. He tries to please Spain, though, by attempting to wed his son Charles to the Spanish Infanta and executing the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh at Spain’s request. Raleigh himself had previously been arrested under suspicion of involvement in the Gunpowder Plot, and, though released, he really steps in it during his expedition to find El Dorado, which proves unsuccessful and involves the ransacking of a Spanish outpost by his crew. Needless to say, neither Spain or James is a fan, hence Raleigh’s re-arrest and execution in 1618.

James I dies several years later in 1625. As his eldest son, Henry, has already passed away as of 1612, his second son Charles is next in line to the English throne. Join me next Sunday for a chronicle of this next monarch in the House of Stuart and, even sooner, contact our London Relocation agents to sort out your own House of You—that is, your new London apartment rental as you make your international relocation!

Related London Sightseeing: The Tower of London, where Sir Walter Raleigh and those involved with the Gunpowder Plot were imprisoned; the Mayflower pub, located where the Mayflower ship and its captain and crew embarked on its voyage to Plymouth, England to pick up the Pilgrim Fathers and onward to Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.

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London Leaders – King James I

Monday October 3rd, 2011

If you’re making the relocation to London UK, it’s always good to know a little somethin’-somethin’ about the vast and varied history here. The British monarchy has shaped the political and cultural landscape of London and the UK at large for centuries, which makes for a whole lotta info to swallow. That’s why I carry on the Weekend Warrior Sunday series here, focused on London’s beginnings and the leaders that have helped make it what it is today. Last week, I wrapped up a three-part series on Elizabeth I. Today, we’ll meet her successor, King James I.

The year is 1603 when James I ascends the English throne and begins the Stuart line of rule in England. He is the son of Mary Queen of Scots, who was Elizabeth I’s cousin and executed by the Queen’s orders. By that time he is already the King of Scotland (under the name of James VI), so this joint kingship makes for the joint kingdom of Great Britain. But let’s go a little further back in time…

James is the son of Mary Queen of Scots’s second husband, who was murdered in 1567. Later that year, the undesirable affairs surrounding Mary’s reign pressure her into abdicating her throne to the young James, who is only one year old at that time. Rough year for Mary, ay? It only gets worse for that babe twenty years later… Anyway, as James is obviously too young, a series of regents man the fort until James is of age to rule as King of Scotland. James’s right to rule as King of England comes by virtue of being a great-grandchild of Margaret Tudor, Henry VII‘s daughter. As his cousin Queen Elizabeth has no children of her own, she names James as her heir to the English throne.

Making the jump from Scottish ruler to English ruler is not so easy, however. No matter the leadership experience James brings to the table, there are inevitably going to be tensions surrounding his reign due to the tensions that have surrounded Scotland and England, Catholics and Protestants, Episcopals and Puritans. His personal perspectives add to the conflict, particularly his old-school belief in monarchical power that leads him to disregard the sentiments of Parliament and English nobility. Religious issues really come to a head in 1605 when a group of Catholic conspirators (including the infamous Guy Fawkes, who is annually burned in effigy on November 5th—known as both Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night—and paid homage to in the film V for Vendetta) attempt to assassinate the king by blowing up the House of Lords.

Join me next Sunday to hear how this turns out, in addition to other significant religious developments to come about during James I’s reign. In the meantime, if you have any questions related to present-day UK in relation to your upcoming relocation to London, don’t hesitate to ask one of our London Relocation agents!

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Elizabeth I: London Leaders

Sunday September 25th, 2011

Hiya, Weekend Warriors! Welcome to our third and last installment on Queen Elizabeth I, part of our weekly British history appreciation. Last week, we saw how Elizabeth overcame an unfortunate family feud and helped to protect Protestants from persecution throughout Europe. She also managed to offend King Philip II of Spain in the process, so now England faces war as the Spanish Armada approacheth…

Elizabeth I is already fighting against the odds by virtue of being a woman in a society that perceives such to be weak. In assuming the English throne, however, Elizabeth has shown herself to be otherwise—strong in mind and character, Spain’s attack only gives her ample opportunity to show off the tough stuff she’s made of. In 1588, she travels to meet her troops in Tilbury of Essex, where they await the Spanish navy. She addresses them such that they keep heart:

“. . . I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm . . .”

You go, girl! Thanks to your brave words, morale is high among the English, and thanks to England’s crap weather, naval conditions on the Channel are unfavorable for the Spanish. The English navy therefore reigns victorious in this battle and is regarded as the world’s most powerful.

In addition to being a brilliant public speaker, Elizabeth I is politically savvy. She’s able to maintain dominance as the monarch yet remain respectful of Parliament, and she’s strategic in manipulating situations to her advantage. She garners the great devotion of her advisers and public alike and perpetually refuses to marry, despite a close relationship with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. According to her, she is already married to England.

Reigning to the very end with dignity during a flourishing cultural period for England, Queen Elizabeth I dies at the age of seventy. With no heir of her own, she leaves her throne, interestingly enough, to the heir of the very cousin she had executed: James VI of Scotland, son of Mary, Queen of Scots. Thus ends the Tudor dynasty and ushers in the House of Stuart.

Related London sightseeing: The tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots inside Westminster Abbey.

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