Tories

Term for the Conservative Party. The party emerged during the Exclusion Crisis, then the Whigs used Tories as pejorative term (referring to Irish Catholic criminals).

In the 17th century, Tories supported the King, his prerogatives and the Divine Right of kings. Consequently, they were associated with tradition, hierarchies, High Church and conservatism. In the first half of the 18th century, Tories were sometimes suspected of Jacobitism - a result of their conservative stance. Although this held true for some, most Tories supported the Hanoverian succession. Nonetheless, the governments were usually formed by Whig politicians, the supposedly "natural" choice of the Hanoverians.

In the 19th century, government regularly changed between Tories and Whigs. Both Robert Peel and Benjamin Disraeli were eminent Tory Prime Ministers.