Schick, Albert James II and VII

Britain's Last Catholic King

James II and VII was not born a king. As Duke of York, he grew up in a Britain torn apart by civil wars and witnessed major events in British history, including the Battle of Edgehill (1642). After his father Charles I was executed by Parliamentarians, James served as a soldier in Europe until his brother Charles II returned to the British throne. Under his brother's reign, James converted to Catholicism and subsequently became embroiled in several political upheavals until 1681. When he inherited the throne from his brother Charles II in 1685, James attempted to reconcile his personal beliefs with the changing politics of the time, but this led to discontent among courtiers, his Parliament and his subjects, and ultimately to the Glorious Revolution and the loss of his throne in 1688. This book examines the politics and events of James's life before and during his reign to explain why he was unable to hold the British throne, as well as the final years of his life in exile, his attempts to regain the throne, and his sad death. Often overlooked as a king who reigned for less than four years, James II and VII was an accidental but important historical figure in shaping British history. The events at the end of his reign were the first steps towards creating a better constitution and a democratic Britain.