Why did England move in the direction of parliamentary while most countries on the continent embraced absolutism?

Answer 1

In 1066, William the duke of Normandy (vassal to King of France), invaded and conquered the entire kingdom of England. Thanks to the fact that England is an island, this facilitated the entire control without confronting border disputes with any other countries. So, once in command, King William implemented a feudal system, by which he sought advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics in command, before making any laws. He consulted with his most powerful subjects, and by mid 13th century, these consultations or “parlays”, later transformed into “parliaments”. These practices grow, and even the wealthiest but lesser-than-noble came to the Parliament to address their grievances. The Parliament, by the 14th century solidified as a permanent institution of the government of England. Despite the institution of the Parliament, during the first half of the 17th century, two monarchies in power attempted to emulate French absolutism. Both, James I (James VI of Scotland) and his son Charles I tried to rule without consulting the Parliament, even to rule without it. But, Parliament had so much power by that time, that neither James nor Charles could successfully decrease its role in the government. Charles I needed more than his dad the financial support from the Parliament, reason why he had a bitter confrontation. Furthermore, because he did not concede to its demands regarding taxation, law trials, and the recognition of the Protestants’ church; a civil war began by 1642, and lasted for two generations. In fact, the Parliament’s rich supporters, they prospered merchants and taxpayers financed a New Model Army. A military force composed by farmers, protestant’s followers, poor artisans and day laborers. This New Model Army defeated the King Charles I, which was publicly executed by order of the Parliament. In such manner, once the Parliament secured its interest, brought from the exiled the son of the executed King, Charles II and restored the court and Crown. This new King, conscious of what happened to his dad, he obviously was never tented to try to impose absolutism. Withal, his brother James II did try to bend the Parliament, but his Catholicism never got the sympathy of the Anglican Church. Adding to this, even the upper class wanted the monarchy, they did not want absolutism. Later, by 1688 the Anglicans and powerful aristocrats support an invasion from James's son-in-law to save the government from his absolutist ideals. So, a new freely elected Parliament deemed James to have abdicated, to replace him by his protestant daughter Mary, and her husband William III from the Netherlands. Ergo, William’s victory defeated for the last time the absolutist ideals in England. The Parliament finally secured its rights to assemble and to have voice and vote in all government business, officially documented in the Bill of Rights (1689).