James VII

James VII of Scotland was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the British Isles. Succeeding his brother Charles II in 1685, James's efforts to grant religious liberty to Catholics and Non-Anglican Protestants faced fierce opposition, deepening the Protestant establishment's mistrust. His ruling style, perceived as authoritarian, combined with fears of a Catholic dynasty due to the birth of his son, led to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. James was deposed and fled to continental Europe, being replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary II and her husband, William of Orange. Though he made attempts to reclaim his throne, he spent his final years in exile, dying in France in 1701.