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O. Ivchenko, Doctoral Candidate

Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Odessa, Ukraine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2020.147.4


SOCIO-POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL CONDITIONS OF FORMATION OF THE IDEA OF CONSTITUTIONAL ROYALISM IN ENGLAND IN THE 17th CENTURY


The article is dedicated to the study of such a direction of political thought of the English Revolution of the 17th century as the constitutional royalism. This ideological direction has not been the subject of research by historians, who have focused mainly on the analysis of the ideas of supporters of Parliament. But the theory of constitutional royalism underlies the modern political system of Great Britain. This fact determines the relevance of this study. The term "constitutional royalism", first proposed by the English historian David Smith, characterizes a group of royalists who submited the idea of the king's rule in Parliament, or the idea of "mixed monarchy". The article aims to consider the historical context of the formation of the theory of constitutional royalism. The article describes the socio-political and ideological conditions that helped to form this area of political thought.

The author concludes that the idea of constitutional royalism could have arisen and received its further development only in connection with the conditions prevailing in England in the 17th century. The new ruler James I wanted to strengthen the power of the monarch and make it absolute. The king and Parliament argued over the issue of the royal prerogative, namely the extraordinary rights of the monarch. James I sought to increase this prerogative, and Parliament wanted to limit it. Over time, there is a group of constitutional royalists – those who advocated the reign of the king in Parliament. Proponents of this idea believed that the monarch should retain all power, but Parliament at the same time performs advisory functions and helps the king to rule the state.

Appearing during the English Revolution of the 17th century, the idea of constitutional royalism influenced on the political life of England and contributed to the formation of its modern state of affairs.

Keywords: English revolution, political idea, constitutional royalism, "mixed monarchy", royal prerogative, the king’s government in the Parliament.

Received by the editorial board: 15.12.20

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