Exclusion Bill

English history

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

The Exclusion Bill was a proposed law in English history that aimed to prevent James II, who was openly Roman Catholic, from ascending to the throne. This was a significant point of contention because England was predominantly Protestant, and the idea of a Catholic monarch alarmed the Anglican establishment.12

The bill's failure to pass contributed to the tensions that led to the Glorious Revolution in 1688. During this event, James II was deposed and replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary II and her husband, William III. This revolution ultimately established Parliament as the supreme ruling power in England.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

United Kingdom
The exclusion crisis and the Tory reaction
…when the Commons passed the Exclusion Bill, Charles dissolved Parliament and called new elections. These did not change the mood of the country, for in the second Exclusion Parliament (1679) the Commons also voted to bypass the duke of York in favour of his daughter Mary and William of Orange,…
Read More
…when the Commons passed the Exclusion Bill, Charles dissolved Parliament and called new elections. These did not change the mood of the country, for in the second Exclusion Parliament (1679) the Commons also voted to bypass the duke of York in favour of his daughter Mary and William of Orange,…
Read More

Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st earl of Shaftesbury
The Exclusion Bill
His strategy was primarily aimed at securing the passage of the Exclusion Bill, which would keep the Catholic James from the throne, using Charles’s illegitimate son, the duke of Monmouth, a puppet of Shaftesbury, as a possible claimant to the throne. Although the…
Read More
His strategy was primarily aimed at securing the passage of the Exclusion Bill, which would keep the Catholic James from the throne, using Charles’s illegitimate son, the duke of Monmouth, a puppet of Shaftesbury, as a possible claimant to the throne. Although the…
Read More