britain

A Page for Britons, Anglicans, Windsors and a few Celts. "King George, and Old England Forever!"

Once I sat down and did the math, I learned that the majority of blood in my veins is German, however, with a last name such as mine, there can be no denying that the nationality I most identify with is the English. My paternal family is British (with an Irish grandmother) and the Crisp family raised more than their share of dust in Great Britain before coming to North Carolina (named for King Charles hmm), besides which, my first language is English and that goes along way to making Britain the part of the world where I feel a great deal of cultural connection (though I'm rather stuck on Wurttemberg too). For the purposes of this website, I will focus mainly on the aspects of religion and the monarchy in Great Britain and my thoughts and opinions on those broad subjects, both today and in the long history of the British Isles.

Religion was not much of an issue for Britain until the time of the Tudor Dynasty, a family which took power on the field of battle, following the death of King Richard III of the House of York ("my kingdom for a horse!") The monarchy has had a fairly rocky but nonetheless constant history as long as the island has been inhabited, though the monarchy as we know it today did not take root until 1066. British royal history is unique in that, more so, or at least more famously so, than any other country, the monarchy in Britain has been limited and responsive as a matter of tradition. Parliament came about during the reign of King Edward I, and the first limitations on royal power came as a result of the defeat of King John by the Barons: the Magna Carta.
In this historic act, I must take the same view as my dear Pope Innocent III, who condemned the document and declared it to be invalid. Does this mean that I, and the Pope of the day, do not aprove of checks and balances in government? By no means! H.H. Innocent III was certainly no great friend of King John, having opposed him for years over his attacks on the Church. However, the Pope was a man of justice and Christian rule. He opposed the Magna Carta because it had been enacted by force of arms and based its rights on an arrogant attitude of "might

makes right" rather than true Christian principles of authority. In short, he did not disagree with what the Magna Carta said, but rather how it said it, and how it came to be the law of the land.
Even during the early years of the Tudor Dynasty, things seemed to be going well for England. The country prospered and grown strong under King Henry VII, although he was not very popular. His son, King Henry VIII made an astute political marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and wrote a defense of the Seven Sacraments which prompted the Pope to award him the title "Defender of the Faith", keeping Protestantism at bay in England. However, Henry VIII proved to be a bad monarch and an even worse man. His primary character trait was selfish ambition. In his drive to establish his dynasty for the future he caused years of religious turmoil, treated his family with great cruelty as well as going through his six infamous marriages. He founded the Church of England, not out of any religious conviction, for he had none, but rather out of lust for personal power. He was, in other words, loyal to the Pope only as long as the Pope allowed him to do as he wished, after which time he declared himself to be the highest religious authority on earth. However, in Catherine of Aragon England still had a focus for true Christian loyalty.

Queen Catherine of Aragon

Some of the greatest heroes of English history, since the time of King Arthur or Richard the Lionheart, were the fighters of the Pilgrimage of Grace, which broke out as a result of Henry's attacks against the Church. In this "revolt" it is important to note that the rebels had no desire or intention to overthrow the King or tear down the government--that would have been disloyal Christian behavior. Rather, their one and only goal was to reestablish the true Faith and bring England back into full communion with Rome. Henry VIII was unable to defeat the uprising and only ended it through decietful promises.
The Tudor period, was a fascinating but painful period, when England, and thus all of Britain, changed forever. Through the actions of Mary I, Elizabeth I, Marie d'Guise and Mary Queen of Scots, Britain was put on the road to imperial power as a Protestant nation, but one destined to have many trials due to the forced conversion of the national Church. However, it did seem that Britain was to have a second chance when the House of Stuart rose to the throne of England and Scotland. The Stuarts were a Royal Family who truly recognized their position as the vassals of the King of Heaven. But, treason had taken hold over the years and Protestantism grew republicanism.