1629 As Charles turns away from parliaments, political influence shifts to a small group of people surrounding the King at court. These personalities, and their conflicts with one another, determine English politics for the next decade.
1629 Facing insurrection in parliament, and riots throughout the kingdom, Charles suspects a co-ordinated conspiracy against his regime. A lengthy investigation uncovers troubling opposition to this rule.
Spring 1629 As Charles deals with disorder on the floor of the House of Commons, unemployment and poor harvests spark riots and unrest throughout the kingdom.
Winter 1629 Parliament reconvenes, in the hopes that the removal of Buckingham will solve the political problems of the past decade. However, the divisions in society run deeper than one man.
1625-1628 In an effort to provide for the war-time defence of Ireland, Charles enters into negotiations with the Old English Catholics. A settlement emerges in the form of limited toleration for Catholics in exchange for a locally raised (and funded) army.
1625-1628 Charles learns to rule Scotland through trial and error. But the land of his birth is now a foreign nation that he struggles to understand.
Summer 1628 With parliamentary subsidies in hand, and favourable diplomatic circumstances in Europe, Charles and Buckingham finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
Spring 1628 Charles comes to a tentative agreement with his subjects. Parliament agrees to provide war funding in exchange for the King's acceptance of the Petition of Right (a declaration of the rights enjoyed by all English subjects).
Spring 1628 The moderates on the Privy Council attempt to reconcile King and parliament, through a bill clarifying the rights of English subjects. Success depends on their ability to manage parliament.
1627 While the Duke of Buckingham wages war in France, the Forced Loan has its day in court. A group of 5 loan refusers dispute the King's right to detain them without charge, hoping to test the legality of extra-parliamentary taxation before the law.
1627 The Duke of Buckingham exploits the burgeoning news industry to promote his military expedition to the Isle of Rhe in France. But despite the positive spin in the press, victory proves elusive.
1626-1627 Charles implements his "new counsels" and raises money outside of parliament. Within the Privy Council, a debate rages over whether this is a war-time emergency or the new normal.
1626 Without any parliamentary subsidies, England is forced to sit on the sidelines during the campaigning season of 1626. However, Buckingham and Charles are active on the diplomatic front, as an attempted coup in France presents an opportunity.
Summer 1626 After a disastrous parliament, Charles forges an alliance with the ceremonial, anti-Calvinist wing of the Church. His hope is that a more orderly Church will create a more orderly society.
Spring 1626 New accusations against Buckingham raise the stakes at Westminster. Charles is faced with either saving his chief minister, or securing funding for his war.
Spring 1626 After a disastrous first 11 months of his reign, Charles opens his second parliament. As he prepares to swallow his pride and ask parliament for money to continue the war, a group sets their sights on the Duke of Buckingham as the price of co-operation.
Winter 1626 Across the kingdom elections to the House of Commons mark the beginning of a new parliament. Charles and Buckingham do their best to ensure government friendly representatives are selected from England's counties and boroughs. But other figures also carry weight in elections, particularly the Earl of Pembroke - an influential Calvinist with ambiguous loyalties to the government.
Winter 1626 The Calvinist members of the Patriot Coalition give Charles and Buckingham one last chance to prove their dedication to the Protestant cause as a new session of parliament begins. At York House, the Duke of Buckingham hosts an informal conference to determine whether Arminianism will be tolerated in the English Church.
Fall 1625 Delayed and underfunded due to the failed parliament, an English fleet sets sail for Cadiz. Their goal is to either raid the port, or capture the American treasure fleet before it can land. However, the expedition suffers from a lack of provisions and (after two decades of peace) inexperience.
Summer 1625 The Charles and Buckingham partnership take control of the kingdom after the death of James. However, their popular war program runs into problems in Charles' first parliament as the pair discovers that ruling is not as easy as it looks.
Ernst von Mansfeld's mercenary army is paralyzed by conflicting orders from England. James directs Mansfeld to the Palatine, while Charles and Buckingham urge him towards Breda. The impasse is broken when the King suddenly falls ill.
Autumn 1624 After using parliamentary pressure to get James to break off negotiations with Spain, Charles and Buckingham prepare for England's first war in a generation. But who and where England will be fighting remain open questions, capable of dividing Charles and Buckingham's political coalition.
Spring 1624 Charles and Buckingham attempt to navigate their way through a parliament. They have to convince James to adopt a war policy without violating his jealously guarded prerogatives, while at the same time convincing parliament that they can trust the King. Standing in their way is the greatest advocate of peace, Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex.
1623-1624 Charles and Buckingham are met with popular celebrations upon their return to England. They immediately begin work assembling a popular anti-Spanish coalition in order to force James into war. Standing in their way are the entrenched interests of the court.
Summer 1623 Charles and Buckingham plot to return home from Madrid, by any means necessary. In the mean time, Buckingham plans a diplomatic break with Spain, and a re-branding of himself as the Protestant saviour of Europe.
Spring 1623 Charles and Buckingham arrive in Madrid, where they find themselves in over their heads in a world of geo-political intrigue. The men who had been picking through the marriage negotiations (John Digby, Earl of Bristol and Count-Duke Olivares) struggle to adapt to the new circumstances. Meanwhile, back in England, Buckingham's rivals take advantage of his absence, and challenge his political position.
The Earl of Buckingham and Prince Charles embark on a secret voyage to Madrid to complete the marriage treaty between Charles and the Infanta of Spain. Confusion and fear reigns in England when the news breaks that the heir to the kingdom has walked into the heart of Spain.
After the failure of the 1621 parliament, James turns to a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Europe. He hopes to use a royal marriage between his son Charles, and the Spanish Infanta (Princess Maria Anna) to broker a peace in the Empire. However, this plan meets with popular resistance in England, where anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish sentiment runs high.
1622 The Earl of Buckingham and Lionel Cranfield (Earl of Middlesex) battle for supremacy in Ireland. After Cranfield managed to convince James to set up a commission to investigate corruption in Ireland, and Buckingham does his best to undermine the project.
Autumn 1621 After receiving the support of his subjects in the spring session of parliament, James tries one last time to solve the European crisis through diplomatic pressure. When he fails, an emergency fall session of parliament reveals the fragility of England's unity.
