September 4th, 2010 | 
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This is a rather vague question. I read multiple novels at one point, all covering different aspects of this time period–I just want everything to make sense. I understand Henry VIII and his wives, how the boy king Edward ruled for a few shaky years, how bloody Mary took the throne and tried to reestablish Catholicism, and how Elizabeth eventually gained the throne and brought stability and prosperity to England for years.
Then I hit a gray area. I know something about King James and then something happened to him to unseat him from the throne, and how his son, Bonnie Prince Charlie, tried to regain twice, circa 1718 and 1745 with the help of Highland clans and French support that never actually showed.
If someone could help clarify the details of what was going on in Britain and France and Rome during this time period, I would appreciate it. I’m going to award a best answer if someone explains it well enough.
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After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603. the throne passed to James VI of Scotland, who became King james I of England. James I died in 1625, and was succeeded by his son Charles I. During the 1640s , there was civil war in england and Scotland, and Charles I was eventually executed in 1649 by Parliament. For some years England was without a King, though eventually Oliver Cromwell was virtual dictator.
In 1660, King Charles II returned to England as King, this is known as The Restoration. Charles II had many illegitimate children, but no legitimate ones, and on his death in 1685, he was succeeded by his brother James. Unfortunately, James was a Catholic and extremely unpopular in england, which was strongly anti-Catholic at that time. james had two daughters by his first marriage, Mary, who was married to her cousin William of Orange, and Anne, who was married to George of Denmark. By his second wife, james had a son, also called James, however rumours circulated that James was not his lawful son, but had been smuggled into the palace. This was of course ridiculous, since queens in those days gave birth before witnesses precisely in order to make sure that the child was indeed born naturally, but such was the hostility to James that people were willing to beleive the rumours.
James eventually became so unpopular that the English asked his daughter Mary and her husband William of orange to come to England and be king in place of James II. James had to flee from England and took refuge in France. William and Mary took the throne as joing rulers(Mary’s sister Anne seems to have been instrumental in persuading her sister that it was the right thing to do). James made an attempt to regain his throne by invading ireland, which was a disaster, he was defeated at the battle of the Boyne, and the consequences for Ireland were disastrous. Savage penalties were imposed on the irish, Catholics were banned from practising their religon, from getting an education, or from owning land. the repercussions of these actions lasted for two hundred years. William and Mary had no children, and after they had both died Anne became Queen. Anne had a large number of pregnancies, but sadly most of them resulted in miscarriages or stillbirths, or very short-lived enfants. She had only one child who survived infancy, and he died when he was eleven. Anne seems to have considered making her half-brother james her heir, but in the end she left the throne to her cousin George of Hanover (a small German state). George was the great-grandson of King James I, and the nearest Protestant heir.
Meanwhile, James II had settled in France and raised his son there. James (the Old Pretender) made an attempt to regain the throne in 1715, which failed. His son Charles (bonnie Prince Charlie) made another attempt in 1745, which was a disaster both fo rhimself and for Scotland, leading to a devestating defeat for the Stuart forces at Culloden, and brutal reprisals being taken against the Highland Scots who had supported him. charles fled into exile.
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145 years ish
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