see url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interregnum_(England)
see full entry: A very interesting period in English History...the
"Restoration of the Monarchy" occured on 29th May 1660...
The *Interregnum* was the period between the execution of Charles I
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Charles_I> on 30 January
1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_England> in London on 29
May 1660 which marked the start of the Restoration
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_(England)>. During the
Interregnum, England was under various forms of republican government
(see Commonwealth of England
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_England>; this article
describes other facets of the Interregnum).
Politics
Main article: Commonwealth of England
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_England>
The politics of the period were dominated by the wishes of the /Grandees
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandee_(New_Model_Army)>/ (Senior
Officers) of the New Model Army
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Model_Army> and their civilian
supporters. They encouraged (or at least tolerated) several republican
regimes.
From 1649 until 1653 executive powers lay with Council of State
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_State_(England)>, while
legislative functions were carried out by the Rump Parliament
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_Parliament>.
In 1653 the Grandees, with Oliver Cromwell
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell> in the lead, dismissed
the Rump, and replaced it with a Nominated Assembly (nicknamed the
Parliament of Saints and Barebone's Parliament
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barebone%27s_Parliament>) made up of 140
nominees, 129 from England and Wales, five from Scotland and six from
Ireland. It proved to be as difficult for the executive to work with
this parliament as it had with the Rump, so, after sitting for five
months, members friendly to the Grandees engendered its dissolution on
12 December 1653.
The /Instrument of Government
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_of_Government>/ was adopted on
15 December 1653 and the pre-eminent /Grandee/ Oliver Cromwell
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell> was installed as Lord
Protector <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Protector> on the
following day.^[1]
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interregnum_(England)#cite_note-1> The
/Instrument of Government/ granted executive power
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_power> to the Lord Protector
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Protector>. Although this post was
elective, not hereditary, it was to be held for life. It also required
the calling of triennial Parliaments
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament>, with each sitting for at
least five months.
In January 1655, Cromwell dissolved the first Protectorate Parliament
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Protectorate_Parliament>, ushering
in a period of military rule
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dictatorship> by the Major
Generals <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_the_Major-Generals>.
The /Instrument of Government/ was replaced in May 1657 by England's
second, and last, codified constitution
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution>, the Humble Petition and
Advice <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_Petition_and_Advice>.
However Oliver Cromwell died the next year and his nominated successor
as Lord Protector, his son Richard
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cromwell>, proved unable to
govern effectively as various political parties strove to gain power.
The Protectorate <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protectorate> came
to an end in May 1659 when the Grandees recalled the Rump Parliament,
which authorised a Committee of Safety
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Safety_(England)> to replace
Richard's Council of State
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_State_(England)>. This ushered
in a period of unstable government, which did not come to an end until
February 1660 when General George Monck
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Monck>, the English military
governor of Scotland, marched to London at the head of his troops, and
oversaw the restoration of the monarchy
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_(England)> under Charles II.
