Parliament
Political Institution going back to the Middle Ages. Divided into House of Commons and House of Lords. In the 17th century Parliament opposed the monarch (see: Charles I, Civil War, Oliver Cromwell). After the Glorious Revolution in 1688 it more and more came to dominate politics.
- UK Parliament (Westminster Parliament)
Devolved national parliaments (with limited rights of legislation):
First mention of the term in 1236, then just referring to a council of advisors to the monarch.
I) The Parliament and Charles II (1660- 1685)
After returning from exile in 1660 Charles II declared himself King in the Declaration of Breda. Thereby, he promised to set up a parliament to represent the common people. It was meant to be a counterpart to the king. The bicameral structure of the 14th century was still present in the 17th century. The Parliament still consisted of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Compared to the House of Commons the House of Lords was rather small with a total number of 132 in November 1661.
Sources:
Maurer, Michael: Kleine Geschichte Englands. Stuttgart: Reclam, 2007.
Swatland, Andrew: The House of Lords in the Reign of Charles II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.