The Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights (1689)
The nutshell
In 1688, King James II left the throne, and Parliament gave the crown to William and Mary. The new monarchs had to agree to the Bill of Rights in 1689, a law that limited the power of the crown and gave Parliament more say.
Every fact on this page comes from UK Parliament, the House of Commons Library and the official text of the law. Each source tag — like Parl — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
A king leaves the throne
For a long time, the king or queen of England held most of the power. By 1688, many people in Parliament wanted the crown to have less power. That year, King James II left the throne, and Parliament gave the crown to William and Mary.Parl This change is called the Glorious Revolution.
The deal: the Bill of Rights
The new monarchs did not get the crown for free. In 1689, William and Mary had to agree to a new law called the Bill of Rights.Parl The Bill of Rights set clear limits on what a king or queen could do.
What the Bill of Rights changed
The Bill of Rights said the monarch could not suspend laws, raise taxes, or keep an army in peacetime without Parliament's agreement.GOV It also said elections must be free, and that Members of Parliament, or MPs, could speak freely in Parliament without being taken to court. This freedom is now called parliamentary privilege.Parl
Why it still matters
The Bill of Rights helped turn the UK into a constitutional monarchy, where a king or queen reigns but Parliament makes the laws. The House of Commons Library says much of the Bill of Rights is still part of the UK constitution today.HoC
- The Bill of Rights set down in law that the monarch could not suspend laws, raise taxes, or keep an army in peacetime without Parliament's agreement, according to its text on legislation.gov.uk
- UK Parliament says the Bill established frequent parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech in Parliament, known today as parliamentary privilege
- The House of Commons Library says much of the Bill of Rights is still part of the UK constitution and remains in force today
- The change did not create democracy, and only a small number of wealthy men could vote at the time
- The crown kept many powers, and the monarch still chose ministers and could refuse to approve new laws
- The Bill of Rights also barred a Roman Catholic from becoming monarch, a rule the House of Commons Library records as part of the same law
The deep end6 min
From James II to William and Mary
By 1688, tension had grown between King James II and Parliament, in part over religion and the powers of the crown. According to UK Parliament, the events of 1688 led to James II leaving the throne and the crown passing to William of Orange and Mary, who ruled as joint monarchs.Parl These events became known as the Glorious Revolution.
The crown offered on terms
In 1689 Parliament offered the crown to William and Mary. UK Parliament records that the crown came with the Bill of Rights, designed to stop monarchs changing laws, raising taxes, or keeping an army without the consent of Parliament.Parl The same document established frequent parliaments, free elections and freedom of speech in Parliament, known today as parliamentary privilege.
What the law actually says
The text of the Bill of Rights, published by legislation.gov.uk, sets out several rules in plain terms. It states that suspending laws without the consent of Parliament is illegal, that raising money for the crown without a grant of Parliament is illegal, and that keeping a standing army in peacetime without the consent of Parliament is against the law.GOV It also states that elections of members of Parliament ought to be free, and that debates in Parliament may not be questioned in any court.
Its place in the constitution today
The Bill of Rights is often described as a turning point towards a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch reigns within limits set by Parliament. The House of Commons Library says the Bill of Rights is part of the UK's uncodified constitution, the set of rules not gathered into a single written document, and that much of it remains in force today and is still cited in legal cases.HoC The same law also barred a Roman Catholic from becoming monarch. The topics on Magna Carta and a quick history of UK democracy trace the wider story of how power shifted from the crown to Parliament and the vote.