Secret Treaty of Dover

Philip

Donor
Charles II of England promised to support France's efforts to conquer the Dutch Republic in exchange for French support in returning England to the Catholic Church in the Secret Treaty of Dover. French subsidies proved to be insufficient, and Charles could not ignore Parliament. Charles did not convert until near death.

What if the French had provided more support? Obviously, Parliament will not be thrilled with an attempt to return England to Catholicism, but what happens? Is there an earlier Glorious Revolution? Does Parliament decide that the Restoration was a bad idea and establish a republic?
 
The success of William and Mary demonstrated the total lack of support that James had. Without a high level of militant internal support for a return to Catholicism (which had not existed since the Parliamentarians won the English Civil War) there is no way that the Treaty of Dover could really have come into force in regards to English Catholicism.

I really think that you have to go quite far back to get Catholicism into force in England. The best time would probably be during the English Civil War, just because I feel like both sides cards were all out on the table. If the 30 Years' War hadn't been raging in Europe, or if there were a break that allowed a pro-Royalist intervention in that war, and you can get that intervention, then you might be able to get royal absolutism and Catholicism back in force.

Really though you probably need to go back to Henry VIII to really get England to keep Rome. Henry's decision to break with Rome, combined with the lack of civil war in the wake of his decision (there was no civil war during his, Edward's, Mary's or Elizabeth's reigns) demonstrate a general acceptance of his decision, and the strength of the Tudor's support among the population.
 
I don't think Charles took the religious provisions of the treaty seriously any more than he became a radical calvanist when he needed scotish help.
What he wanted was the money and if France provided more then he might make some minor gestures but there is no way he would challenge Parliament on a point like this.

Now James was deffinately daft enough to try do it so yes I think an earlier, more radical William III (instead of William & Mary)
 
IMO in the aftermath of the Stuart Restoration there was no support for another civil war. That is why there was no support for Monmouth, and why William and Mary were able to overthrow James (relatively) bloodlessly. I just don't think that there was anything that could really bring about a lot of chaos in England like your looking for, because by this point in history Parliament was the real power, and they were backing stability above all.
 
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