This book is part of the Cambridge Perspectives in History series. It examines relations between Crown and parliament in England between the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558 and the revolution of 1688-1689. In this lively account of the period, the authors analyse the changing nature of royal powers and the limitations that were gradually placed upon them. The reasons for the development of a limited monarchy, and the role that individual monarchs' personalities played in bringing this about, are explored through a series of stimulating case studies and primary sources. Central themes include: changes in the balance of power between Crown and parliament, the growing constraints on royal powers and the evolution of parliament into a permanent institution.