Understanding Constitutional Monarchy and the Bill of Rights
A constitutional monarchy is a system of government where a king or queen shares power with Parliament. In the UK, the Bill of Rights, established in 1689, was a crucial document that changed how power was shared between the monarch and Parliament.
What Happened at the Coronation of William and Mary
When William and Mary became king and queen, a Declaration of Rights was read. This declaration made important changes:
- The king could no longer raise taxes or make legal decisions without Parliament’s agreement.
- This meant that Parliament had more power than before.
Key Features of the Bill of Rights, 1689
- Limits on the King’s Power: The king could not act on his own; he needed Parliament’s permission.
- Protestant Monarch: The king or queen must be a Protestant to rule.
- Elections: Parliament must be elected at least every three years (later changed to five years).
- Funding for the Army and Navy: Each year, the king had to ask Parliament for money to support the army and navy.
The Role of Parliament
To effectively govern, the monarch needed advisors called ministers. These ministers had to ensure they had enough votes in Parliament. Parliament was divided into two main groups:
- Whigs
- Tories (the modern Conservative Party is still sometimes called Tories)
This was the beginning of party politics in the UK.
The Importance of a Free Press
During this time, newspapers and publications started to grow. From 1695, newspapers could operate without needing a government licence. This was an important step for freedom of speech and information.
A New Balance of Power
The Bill of Rights marked the start of constitutional monarchy. The monarch was still important but could not force laws or actions without Parliament’s agreement. However, at this time, voting rights were very limited:
- Only men who owned property could vote.
- No women could vote at all.
- Some voting areas were controlled by wealthy families (called pocket boroughs), while others had very few voters (called rotten boroughs).
Questions for Understanding
Easy Level Questions
- What is a constitutional monarchy?
- A) A system with no king
- B) A system where the king has all power
- C) A system where the king shares power with Parliament
- D) A system without a Parliament
- Who were William and Mary?
- A) Important politicians
- B) The first kings of England
- C) The first monarchs after the Bill of Rights
- D) Famous writers
- What did the Bill of Rights, 1689, do?
- A) Gave the king unlimited power
- B) Limited the power of Parliament
- C) Limited the power of the king
- D) Created a new royal family
- Who must the monarch be according to the Bill of Rights?
- A) A Catholic
- B) A Jew
- C) A Protestant
- D) Any religion
- How often must Parliament be elected?
- A) Every year
- B) Every two years
- C) Every three years
- D) Every five years
- What is a minister in this context?
- A) A religious leader
- B) An advisor to the king
- C) A member of the army
- D) A member of the press
- What are the two main political groups in Parliament?
- A) Liberals and Progressives
- B) Whigs and Tories
- C) Democrats and Republicans
- D) Socialists and Communists
- What could the king no longer do without Parliament’s permission?
- A) Make speeches
- B) Raise taxes
- C) Travel abroad
- D) Have a family
- What was allowed to happen in newspapers from 1695?
- A) They could be controlled by the government
- B) They could publish freely
- C) They had to pay taxes
- D) They could not be printed
- What were ‘pocket boroughs’?
- A) Areas where everyone could vote
- B) Areas controlled by wealthy families
- C) Areas with many voters
- D) Areas without a king
Medium Level Questions
- What is the significance of the Declaration of Rights?
- A) It established the monarchy
- B) It marked the start of party politics
- C) It confirmed the power of the king
- D) It brought peace to the country
- Which group is often referred to as Tories today?
- A) Labour Party
- B) Liberal Democrats
- C) Conservative Party
- D) Green Party
- What role did the ministers play after the Bill of Rights?
- A) They became less important
- B) They became more important than the monarch
- C) They had no role
- D) They controlled the army
- How did the Bill of Rights affect the monarchy?
- A) It gave the king more power
- B) It decreased the king’s power
- C) It had no effect
- D) It abolished the monarchy
- What is the purpose of Parliament’s funding request?
- A) To support the king’s personal expenses
- B) To fund the army and navy
- C) To build new castles
- D) To pay for elections
- What was a major change in British politics after the Glorious Revolution?
- A) More voting rights for all
- B) A new royal family
- C) The beginning of constitutional monarchy
- D) The end of Parliament
- What does ‘rotten borough’ refer to?
- A) Areas with many voters
- B) Areas with few voters
- C) Areas that were very wealthy
- D) Areas with no king
- How did the Bill of Rights influence modern democracy?
- A) It created a full democracy
- B) It was the beginning of limited monarchy
- C) It had no influence
- D) It ended the monarchy
- What was one impact of the rise of newspapers?
- A) Less information for the public
- B) More control by the government
- C) Greater freedom of speech
- D) Less interest in politics
- How did the Bill of Rights affect the relationship between the king and Parliament?
- A) It made Parliament more powerful
- B) It made the king more powerful
- C) It kept them equal
- D) It ended their relationship
Hard Level Questions
- What was the main purpose of the Bill of Rights?
- A) To outline the responsibilities of the army
- B) To limit the powers of the monarchy and affirm parliamentary sovereignty
- C) To declare independence from Europe
- D) To establish a new religion
- Which monarch was involved in the Glorious Revolution?
- A) Charles II
- B) James II
- C) George III
- D) Henry VIII
- How did the Bill of Rights affect the election process?
- A) It required elections every year
- B) It established regular elections for Parliament
- C) It ended elections
- D) It allowed the king to appoint members of Parliament
- What does the term ‘constitutional’ imply in constitutional monarchy?
- A) Unlimited power for the king
- B) Governance based on a written constitution or legal framework
- C) A system where the king has no power
- D) A government with no rules
- Why was it significant that Parliament could control who could be monarch?
- A) It ensured that the king had full control
- B) It allowed for religious control over the monarchy
- C) It shifted power from the monarch to the elected representatives
- D) It had no real significance
- How did the political landscape change after the Bill of Rights?
- A) It remained unchanged
- B) More political parties emerged
- C) The monarchy became absolute
- D) Democracy was fully established
- What was the relationship between the Whigs and Tories?
- A) They were both part of the same group
- B) They were rival political factions
- C) They had no relation
- D) They were both kings
- Why were ‘rotten boroughs’ a problem in the electoral system?
- A) They had too many voters
- B) They were controlled by wealthy families with few voters
- C) They allowed for fair representation
- D) They were always in conflict
- What change regarding voting rights occurred after the Bill of Rights?
- A) All men could vote
- B) Women were given the right to vote
- C) Only property-owning men could vote
- D) Voting was abolished
- Which aspect of the Bill of Rights allowed for the development of a free press?
- A) Government control over newspapers
- B) The end of all newspapers
- C) The removal of government licences for newspapers
- D) Strict censorship of printed materials
Answers and Explanations
Easy Level Answers
- C) A system where the king shares power with Parliament
- C) The first monarchs after the Bill of Rights
- C) Limited the power of the king
- C) A Protestant
- C) Every three years
- B) An advisor to the king
- B) Whigs and Tories
- B) Raise taxes
- B) They could publish freely
- B) Areas controlled by wealthy families
Medium Level Answers
- B) It marked the start of party politics
- C) Conservative Party
- B) They became more important than the monarch
- B) It decreased the king’s power
- B) To fund the army and navy
- C) The beginning of constitutional monarchy
- B) Areas with few voters
- B) It was the beginning of limited monarchy
- C) Greater freedom of speech
- A) It made Parliament more powerful
Hard Level Answers
- B) To limit the powers of the monarchy and affirm parliamentary sovereignty
- B) James II
- B) It established regular elections for Parliament
- B) Governance based on a written constitution or legal framework
- C) It shifted power from the monarch to the elected representatives
- B) More political parties emerged
- B) They were rival political factions
- B) They were controlled by wealthy families with few voters
- C) Only property-owning men could vote
- C) The removal of government licences for newspapers
