The Protectorate

Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland
1653–1659
Arms (1655–1659)
Territory of Commonwealth in 1659
Capital		London
Government		Unitary parliamentary republic
Lord Protector
•	1653–1658	Oliver Cromwell
•	1658–1659	Richard Cromwell
Legislature		Parliament
•	Upper house	Other House (1658/1659)
•	Lower house	House of Commons (1654–55/1656–58/1659)
History
•	Instrument of Government	16 December 1653
•	Humble Petition and Advice	25 May 1657
•	R. Cromwell's resignation	25 May 1659
Preceded by Succeeded by Commonwealth of England Kingdom of Scotland Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland

Arms (1655–1659)

The Protectorate was the period during the Commonwealth (or, to monarchists, the Interregnum) when England (which at that time included Wales), Ireland and Scotland were governed by a Lord Protector. The Protectorate began in 1653 when, following the dissolution of the Rump Parliament and then Barebone's Parliament, Oliver Cromwell was appointed Lord Protector of the Commonwealth under the terms of the Instrument of Government. In 1659 the Protectorate Parliament was dissolved by the Committee of Safety as Richard Cromwell, who had succeeded his father as Lord Protector, was unable to keep control of the Parliament and the Army. This marked the end of the Protectorate and the start of a second period of rule by the Rump Parliament as the legislature and the Council of State as the executive.