📕 Chapter 3: A Long and Illustrious History
What was the 'Personal Rule'?
Correct answer: When Charles I ruled without Parliament for 11 years
A When Parliament ruled without a king
✓ When Charles I ruled without Parliament for 11 years
C When Cromwell was Lord Protector
D When the Church governed England
💡 Explanation
The 'Personal Rule' was the period from 1629 when Charles I dissolved Parliament and ruled alone for 11 years.
Key facts to remember
- Charles I became king 1625, believed in divine right
- Dissolved Parliament 1629, ruled alone for 11 years
- Recalled Parliament 1640, conflicts escalated
- Civil War 1642: Royalists (Cavaliers) vs Parliamentarians (Roundheads)
- Oliver Cromwell led Parliamentarians to victory
- Charles I executed 1649 — first English king publicly executed
- Execution established king's accountability
- England became a republic — the Commonwealth
- Republic lasted until 1660
Why this is the answer
From the official Life in the UK study material — 3.3.8 Charles I and the English Civil War:
Charles I became king in 1625 and, like his father James I, believed in the divine right of kings. He frequently clashed with Parliament over money and religion. In 1629, he dissolved Parliament and ruled alone for 11 years (known as the 'Personal Rule' or 'Eleven Years' Tyranny'). When he recalled Parliament in 1640, the conflicts escalated.
The English Civil War broke out in 1642 between the Royalists (Cavaliers), who supported the king, and the Parliamentarians (Roundheads), who supported Parliament. The war was fought across England, Scotland, and Wales. The Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell, eventually won. Charles I was tried for treason and executed in 1649 — the first time an English king had been publicly tried and executed.
The execution of Charles I was a momentous event. It established the principle that even a king could be held accountable for his actions. After the king's death, England became a republic known as the Commonwealth, with no monarch. This period lasted until 1660.
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This question is from: 3.3.8 Charles I and the English Civil War
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