1689-1714

1689
The Convention Parliament voted that James II had 'abdicated' and that William and Mary should be offered the Crown (February). The Commons read the Declaration of Rights to William and Mary, which they later enacted as statute, the Bill of Rights (December). Parliament declared war on France (the Nine Years' War) (May).

1690
Parliament passed an Act establishing a Commons' Commission of Public Accounts to oversee the Crown's use of the revenue.

1694
The Bank of England was founded by parliamentary statute (April). The Triennial Act providing for parliamentary elections every three years was passed (November). Queen Mary died and William III became sole ruler (December)

1696
Revelations of a plot to assassinate William III led to the drafting of an oath of loyalty to the King, rejected by many Tory MPs and peers.

1697
The Treaty of Ryswyck ended the Nine Years' War.

1700
The 11-year old Duke of Gloucester, last surviving child of Princess Anne and second in line to the throne, died.

June 1701
Parliament passed the Act of Settlement to prohibit Catholics from sitting on the throne and placing the succession with the House of Hanover.

1701
James II died and Louis XIV recognised his son as James III (the "Old Pretender") as rightful king of England and Scotland (September), prompting Parliament to legislate for an oath requiring a public abjuration of the Stuarts' claim to the throne.

1702
William III died (March), succeeded by Queen Anne, who almost immediately declared a renewed war against France (the War of the Spanish Succession).

1707
The Act of Union between Scotland and England was ratified. The new British Parliament soon took in its first Scottish Members.

1708
Queen Anne refused to assent to the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time the royal veto was used.

1713
The Treaty of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

1714
Queen Anne died and was succeeded by George I of Hanover by the Act of Settlement.