Not Just the Tudors – James II: The Restoration’s Last Catholic King

Host: Professor Suzannah Lipscomb
Guest: Dr. Breeze Barrington
Release Date: February 16, 2026
Podcast: History Hit

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the tumultuous life and reign of James II – the last Catholic king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and historian Dr. Breeze Barrington explore the complexities of James’s personality, the traumas that shaped him, his controversial policies, and the fateful choices that led to his fall during the Glorious Revolution. The conversation also considers the wider impact of his reign and legacy upon the British monarchy, as well as our contemporary understanding of tolerance, loyalty, and kingship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction: Context and Stakes

• Suzannah Lipscomb sets the Restoration series context: post-Cromwell, the return of Charles II, and now, the troubled reign of James II.
• The episode aims to re-examine James II beyond the stereotype of a doomed, unfitting king, instead revealing a man “shaped by war, exile and loss” ([02:49]).

2. Inherited Legacy and National Disunity

• Dr. Barrington emphasizes the instability of the Stuart dynasty — not a secure, typical monarchy, but one marked by civil war and shifting alliances ([06:48]):
  • “In some ways, I think you could argue it’s one of the most difficult legacies that a king could come up with...” ([07:56])
  • Deep religious and political divisions: Catholic vs. Protestant factions, Parliament split into Whigs and Tories ([08:44]).

3. James’s Formative Trauma and Exile

• James’s childhood deeply affected by violence, civil war, repeated exiles, and family loss ([09:37]):
  • “Between the ages of 9 and 27, his life was one of extraordinary upheaval and real instability.” – Dr. Barrington ([11:37])
  • Family – close-knit until the trauma of civil war, his father’s execution.
• Exile in France/Spanish Netherlands as a “prince without a crown”, forced to earn his keep as a soldier—forged a black-and-white, defensive worldview:
  • “Everything’s very black and white for James... that’s formed in these early years of insecurity.” ([12:33])

4. Military Discipline, Loyalty, and Inflexibility

• James inspired by continental armies’ hierarchy and discipline ([16:47]):
  • Admirer of Marshal Turenne; aspired to emulate military decisiveness and structure, but lacked the temperament for flexibility and adaptability.
  • “He really enjoyed being in the military...He was known to be fearless…with no sense of his own safety.” ([17:14])
• Lost roles (like Lord Admiral) due to religious tests — intensifying feelings of exclusion ([19:15]).

5. Religious Conflict: Test Act and Exclusion Crisis

• The anti-Catholic Test Act (1673) forced James to resign prominent positions—highlighting deep societal distrust ([20:15]).
• Parliament’s attempt to exclude him from the throne (Exclusion Crisis, 1679–81):
  • Popish Plot hysteria stoked anti-Catholic sentiment ([21:12]), but Charles II blocked exclusion to defend hereditary principle ([24:32]):
    • “Charles…does not want to exclude James from the throne…he believes in the hereditary principle.” ([24:32])

6. Fears of a Catholic Monarch and the Limits of Tolerance

• Dr. Barrington shows the English public’s primal fear of Catholic rule:
  • “There’s an underlying belief that this really very tiny percentage of the population…are constantly plotting.” ([25:10])
  • Propaganda, from playing cards to the Gunpowder Plot and Armada, stoked mass paranoia.
  • Fear of papal authoritarianism and being “slaves to France” under a Catholic monarch ([26:18]).

7. James’s Early Promise as King and Rapid Fallout

• Unexpectedly popular at first due to moderate promises and a conciliatory approach ([27:30]); Parliament grants him generous, life-long income ([28:29]).
• The Monmouth Rebellion (1685):
  • Monmouth fails, partly due to noble loyalty to James ([29:46]), but James’s “brutal response” (the Bloody Assizes) with mass executions reveals his authoritarian streak ([32:36]).
  • “He’s trying to rule with fear rather than with love, in a sense, but you need to have a lot more power to rule with fear than he has.” ([33:28])

8. Missteps and Authoritarian Overreach

• James’s core mistake: attempts to bypass Parliament to promote religious equality/tolerance ([34:00]), issuing the Declaration of Indulgence.
  • Tries to populate Parliament with supporters but fails to persuade even them to repeal the Test Act.
• The 1688 “warming pan baby” (birth of a Catholic heir) triggers panic and rumors – decisive catalyst for his downfall ([40:21]).

9. The Crisis of the Seven Bishops

• James orders bishops imprisoned for refusing to endorse the Declaration of Indulgence, prompting widespread public outrage and reinforcing the limits of royal power ([40:21]):
  • “As these bishops are being shipped down the Thames on their barges to the Tower, people come out, they're lining the banks… they're lamenting…” ([40:23])

10. The Glorious Revolution and James’s Responsibility

• William of Orange’s invasion invited by seven nobles, catalyzed by fears of a Catholic dynasty and James’s overreach ([41:53]).
• Dr. Barrington balances blame:
  • “The fact that lots of his important generals were deserting...That probably is going to be his fault because there are things he’s done up to that point.” ([43:02])
  • Yet, had there not been a Catholic heir, Glorious Revolution might not have happened — context matters ([44:22]).

11. Exile, Irish Campaign, and Final Defeat

• James flees to France, aided by Louis XIV, launches a failed campaign from Ireland ([46:11]):
  • “He was very shocked…he has believed that God was on his side…this doesn’t make sense to him.” ([46:11])
• The Battle of the Boyne (1690): turning point; after defeat, James gives up hope, falls into despair and religious asceticism ([52:31]).

12. Assessing James II: Admiration, Regret, and Legacy

• Dr. Barrington: James’s qualities (loyalty, conviction, certainty) might have shone under different historical circumstances. He was “out of step with his times” ([54:48]):
  • “He shows himself at various points in his life to be exceptionally loyal…he has a certain code.” ([54:48])
• Paradox: condemned as a failed king, yet “ahead of his time” for championing freedom of conscience ([57:43]):
  • “What is he asking for? He’s asking for everybody to be able to worship how they think fit.” ([57:43])
• James’s tragedy: inflexible yet seeking tolerance; ultimately undone by inability to compromise.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Everything’s very black and white for James…that’s formed in these early years of insecurity, that there’s right and there’s wrong and there’s good and there’s bad and there is no grey area.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([12:33])
• “He was someone who wouldn’t give in. He was someone who would fight to the end with no sense of his own safety. And he was known to be fearless.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([17:14])
• “Charles…does not want to exclude James…he believes in the hereditary principle. So he’s absolutely devoted to keeping that line of succession intact.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([24:32])
• “He’s trying to rule with fear rather than with love, in a sense, but you need to have a lot more power to rule with fear than he has. And so this is a massive mistake.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([33:28])
• “He has no authority to do these things…he sees it as the other way around. He thinks if Parliament don’t work with him, they’re against him.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([40:23])
• “What makes a good or a bad monarch?…I think James throws all of these things up in terms of what we taught them...It’s all to do with context.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([54:48])
• “He must have gone down in history as one of the worst kings. But …what is he asking for? He’s asking for everybody to be able to worship how they think fit.” – Dr. Breeze Barrington ([57:43])
• “Along the way, you’ve taught us that he was out of time in part because he wanted something that was of the future, which was tolerance.” – Professor Suzannah Lipscomb ([57:30])

Section Timestamps

• [02:49] Episode introduction & framing of James II’s story
• [06:13] – [08:44] Stuart insecurity, divided legacy and kingdom
• [09:21] – [13:17] Childhood, formative trauma, exile, psychological imprint
• [16:47] – [19:15] Military life, discipline and impact on worldview
• [20:15] – [24:46] Religious exclusion, anti-Catholicism, Popish Plot, and Exclusion Crisis
• [24:55] – [27:22] National fears about Catholic monarchy
• [27:30] – [33:42] Initial reign, Monmouth Rebellion, Bloody Assizes
• [33:48] – [42:51] Authoritarian missteps and sequence to Glorious Revolution
• [43:02] – [46:11] William of Orange’s invasion and responsibility
• [46:11] – [52:31] Exile in France, campaign in Ireland, defeat at Boyne
• [54:34] – [58:47] Historical reassessment, context, and James II’s paradoxical legacy

Conclusion

Through vivid examples and expert discussion, this episode reframes James II as both a tragic product and victim of his times: his rigidity and trauma made him ill-suited for the new constitutional age, but his advocacy for religious tolerance was strikingly modern. The conversation offers not only a nuanced portrait of a maligned monarch but also a lens through which to ponder the deeper questions of leadership, legitimacy, and the challenge of reconciling personal conviction with the spirit of the age. Ultimately, the episode leaves us with a sense of pity, admiration, and historical curiosity about this misunderstood king.