Charles I enters the House of Commons

On 4 January 1642, King Charles I entered the House of Commons to arrest five members. So angered were MPs at this breach of parliamentary privilege that they slammed to doors of the chamber in the faces of the King's men. When Charles finally entered the House of Commons, the Speaker, William Lenthall, refused to reveal the location of the wanted men, famously saying: "May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here."

This incident lead to the English Civil War and no monarch has entered the House of Commons since. Every year this event is commemorated during the State Opening of Parliament when Black Rod tries to enter the Commons, the door is slammed in his face to symbolise the independence of the elected House of Commons from the monarchy.

This video is a dramatisation from the film 'Cromwell'.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Parliament
• Oliver
• Cromwell
• England
• Ireland
• Scotland
• Great
• Britain
• United
• Kingdom

[Britishguy18]

@kanenkitten Yes exactly. Im glad there are still Royalists as well as I out there to defend our most gracious Monarchy

[baraxor]

If Obi-Wan doesn't dissolve Parliament they're going to make Palpatine the Emperor

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggest Are you aware of the work of Alexander Fraser Tyler (1747-1813), Cycle of Democracy, aka, Death by Democracy?

Democracy is only a tool & unless it is used to achieve something good & noble, it is useless. The American system of Constitutional Representative Republic is known as the American Democracy, where democracy is allowed to function within certain constitutional framework, based on certain God's given Rights. It is not perfect but seems to fall off the cliff the slowest.

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggestfan (con) Roman Catholicism is a political system & as a puritan Christian zealot, Cromwell might see Catholic Ireland as a grave threat to his beloved Protestant England. And that might explain his heavy-handed approach in eliminating the Irish threat. To me, Cromwell is like Martin Luther with sword. Both were mere mortals and far from perfect, however, their profound achievements & influences cannot be denied as they change the world.

[Medeasbiggestfan]

@KATAERO1

I suggest you look at the Democracy Index which shows that the world's most free and democratic nations are parliamentary democracies and most of the world's least democratic nations are presidential republics

The parliamentary system allows the executive to be held to account by the people's representatives in the legislature (this could only have come about in a constitutional monarchy) but this accountability is forbidden in the US style of government

Watch this video:

v=oAtBryLmrcU

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggestfan What's about his vision & achievements as he promised to fulfill? Without them, can the UK become what it is today? That particular parliament Cromwell dissolved was a den of thieves & I think England was better off without it.

You're absolutely correct saying Cromwell was a puritan zealot & I doubt that anybody other than a puritan zealot like him could profoundly modernize England & heavily influence the founding of the USA. (con)

[Medeasbiggestfan]

@KATAERO1

Most former British colonies became parliamentary democracies, whereas most former Spanish colonies become Constitutional Republics. It's no coincidence that most former British colonies have a history of stable government, whereas most former Spanish colonies have a history of military military.

Europe is going through economic troubles, but the governments in parliamentary democracies remain stable. When something similar happen in South America in the 70s, there were military coups.

[Medeasbiggestfan]

@KATAERO1

Charles I was a dictator, but Cromwell was a lot worse

As I say, far from being a benevolent dictator, Cromwell banned Christmas, music, dancing and acting, committed genocide in Ireland and abolished Parliament so he could rule with the military.

I don't think he'd like the modern UK, a country that respects religious freedom and the wishes of the people. He wouldn't like an independent Ireland or the fact that the UK has good relations with the Vatican. Cromwell was a puritan zealot

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggestfan (con) Were those ideas adopted by the American Founding Fathers later on upon establishing the USA, not to mention fighting & defeating the army of another English king, in order to achieve them? That might explain why "people in the US think any differently from people in the UK on this matter?"

Good day!

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggestfan Did Cromwell fulfill the oath he gave to: 1) bring England its self-respect, 2) liberate man's soul from the darkness of ignorance, 3) build schools & universities for all, 4) Bring the Law within the reach of every common man, 5) provide work & bread for all, 6) create prosperity?

If yes, why didn't Charles I do that? Cromwell wanted nothing more than to have England "justly governed" through parliament, instead he had to sacrifice his old age, in order, to do it himself.

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggestfan However, a democracy, whether a direct parliamentary system or an indirect one constitutional representative system is preferable to an absolute monarchy. Have you heard of King Henry VIII???

Cromwell would be proud to see how the UK is turning out to be as he envisioned, and even prouder to see his ideal principles be carried across the Atlantic & is flourishing in the USA. Remember, Christ, not man, is King! God bless Oliver Cromwell.

[KATAERO1]

@Medeasbiggest I consider Cromwell to be a benevolent dictator just like Gen. Washington or even Lee Kuan Yew, who made a tiny dot on the map, aka, Republic of Singapore, to become the latest economic miracle.

Whether system of parliamentary democracy is superior to Constitutional Representative Republic still remains to be seen. Most of parliamentary democracies like Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal & even the UK are all struggling harder than Constitutional Republic like the US or even Chaina.