Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons/ Cromwell visits Charles's coffin, sighing "Cruel necessity!" by Paul Delaroche
Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 19 May 1649
- British King Charles I was executed in January that year and the Parliament then abolished the monarchy.
On this day in 1649, the Parliament of England declared England to be a Commonwealth.
Interestingly, the word Commonwealth is actually translation of the Latin phrase “res publica”, from which the word “republic” was coined.
British King Charles I was executed in January that year and the Parliament then abolished the monarchy.
According to a parliamentary act issued on this day, England was to be ruled by the Parliament, without any King or House of Lords.
The Council of State, of which the famous Oliver Cromwell was a member, was to act as the executive branch of the country’s government.
Cromwell later dissolved the Parliament and assumed power as “Lord Protector”.
Facebook Comments Box
