The English Interregnum names the period when the monarchy was suspended in the kingdoms of England and Wales. It followed the English Civil War and began after the execution of Charles I in 1649. Rule was exercised by different forms of republican government and by the army; ultimately the interval ended with the restoration of Charles II in 1660, after the death of Oliver Cromwell and a short political crisis.

Four main phases

  1. Rump Parliament and Commonwealth — Parliament without the king attempted direct civilian government under a council and committees (parliamentary rule).
  2. Barebone's Parliament — A nominated assembly of reformers that sought religious and legal changes but lasted only months (military influence was strong behind it).
  3. The Protectorate — From 1653 Oliver Cromwell governed as Lord Protector under the Instrument of Government, a written constitution combining executive power with army backing.
  4. Collapse and Restoration — After Oliver's death in 1658 his son Richard could not hold power; civilian and military leaders arranged the return of the monarchy.

Governance during the interregnum experimented with new institutions. The Instrument of Government created an elected Protector and Council, while successive parliaments and army councils alternately asserted control. Law and administration continued, but the balance of authority shifted toward local magistrates, the navy and a politically active army. Foreign policy emphasized trade and naval strength; measures such as the Navigation Acts increased state support for maritime commerce.

Religion and society were unsettled. The breakdown of episcopal order opened space for various Protestant sects, from Presbyterians to Independents and Baptists, though tolerance was limited and dissenters could still face restrictions. Social and economic life showed continuity as well as change: landholding, taxation and commercial networks adapted to government priorities, and colonial ventures continued abroad under new governance arrangements.

The end of the interregnum showed its fragility: without a broadly accepted constitutional settlement, reliance on the army and personality politics made rule unstable. The Restoration in 1660 sought to re-establish monarchy and church institutions, but several legal, political and religious debates from the interregnum continued to influence later British development.

Historians view the period as a significant experiment in non‑monarchical government that tested ideas about representation, executive power and toleration. Its innovations and failures informed later constitutional evolution and left a mixed legacy of reform, repression and institutional change.