Personal Rule

The Personal Rule, also known as the \"Eleven-Year Tyranny,\" refers to the period from 1629 to 1640 when King Charles I of England ruled without Parliament. This era was marked by Charles I's belief in the divine right of kings and his attempts to govern by decree. To raise funds without parliamentary consent, he resorted to controversial fiscal measures, such as extending the levy of \"ship money\" to inland towns, which was seen as an unauthorized tax.12

Charles I's reign was also characterized by religious tensions, particularly his support for High Church practices and his wife Henrietta Maria's Catholic faith, which alarmed many in England. His attempts to impose religious uniformity in Scotland, by introducing a new prayer book, led to the Bishops' Wars. These conflicts, coupled with his unpopular policies in England and Ireland, ultimately forced Charles I to recall Parliament in 1640, leading to the summoning of the Long Parliament and the eventual outbreak of the English Civil Wars.213