Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:15:55-3:16:16

Did Cromwell always want to become king?

Cromwell's view of monarchy is presented as changing after conflict with Parliament rather than beginning with a fixed wish for a crown.

Constitutional HistoryEnglish CommonwealthLord ProtectorOliver CromwellParliament
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Question

Did Oliver Cromwell always want to become king?

Short answer

No. Conflict with Parliament gradually persuaded Cromwell that a king-like balancing office was necessary.

Notes

The answer rejects the claim that Oliver Cromwell wanted to be king from the beginning. Making Richard Cromwell the successor is presented as the result of having no other trusted figure, rather than proof of an original plan for hereditary rule. An elective life protectorate was another imaginable constitutional arrangement. Conflict with the Long Parliament and later parliaments then moved Cromwell toward believing some king-like office was needed to balance Parliament. His institutional judgment changed over time and cannot be reduced to a timeless personal ambition for a crown.