Eleven Years Tyranny

This term refers to the period from 1628 to 1639, when Charles I, King of England and Scotland ruled without recourse to Parliament. He was entitled to do this under the Royal Prerogative, but his actions caused discontent among those who provided the ruling classes. Charles had already dissolved Parliament three times by 1628. After the murder of the George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who was in charge of Charles' foreign policy, Parliament began to criticise the King more harshly than pefore. As a result Charles declared that he would now rule alone.

The term is indicative of the partisan nature of activities at the time, which would eventually result in the Civil War.