Civil List established

Question 1

Civil List established:

Date

Answer 1

1697

Question 2

Civil List established:

Summary

Answer 2

Parliament decided to give a grant of £700,000 per year to William for life, in order to cover the expenses of the royal household, as well as salaries for diplomats and judges

All military and naval expenditure, in times of peace and war, was the responsibility of parliament.

From 1698, the Crown’s day-to-day spending was controlled through a grant, the civil list. The monarch would never again be able to use their prerogative to avoid working with parliament.

Question 3

Civil List established:

Significance

Answer 3

Financial settlement ensured that William and Mary would be financially dependent on parliament as it was insufficient for William to live off.

• BUT could be argued that the fact that parliament made provision for the monarch’s expenses, they had not become a complete partner in gov.
  
  • Rather the king and parliament are working in unison; he still had vast power and commanded deep respect but was more aware than any previous monarch of the need to gain the approval of the elected representatives.

King and parliament had to meet regularly in order to renew the civil list, so it can be concluded that it was the financial settlement of the 1690s, rather than the Triennial Act or Bill of Rights, that necessitated regular meetings of parliament.