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Lord Protector (plural:Lords Protector) is a title that has been used inBritish constitutional law for thehead of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to theestablished church. It was sometimes used to refer to holders of other temporary posts; for example, aregent acting for the absent monarch.
The titleLord Protector was originally used by royal princes or other nobles exercising a role as protector and defender of the realm, while also sitting (typically as chairman) on aregency council, governing for a monarch who was unable to do so (on account of minority, absence from the realm onCrusade, mental incapacity, etc.).
Notable cases in England:
and in Scotland:
| Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Style | His Highness |
| Residence | Palace of Whitehall |
| Appointer | Elective |
| Formation | 16 December 1653 |
| First holder | Oliver Cromwell |
| Final holder | Richard Cromwell |
| Abolished | 25 May 1659 |
TheLord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland was the title of thehead of state andhead of government during theCommonwealth[1] (often called theInterregnum), following the first period when aCouncil of State held executive power. The title was held byOliver Cromwell[1][2] (December 1653 – September 1658) and subsequently his son and designated successorRichard Cromwell (September 1658 – May 1659) during what is now known asThe Protectorate.
The 1653Instrument of Government (republican constitution) stated:
Oliver Cromwell,Captain-General of the forces of England, Scotland and Ireland, shall be, and is hereby declared to be, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, for his life.
The replacement constitution of 1657, theHumble Petition and Advice,[1] gave "His Highness the Lord Protector" the power to nominate his successor. Cromwell chose his eldest surviving son, the politically inexperienced Richard. That was a non-representative andde facto dynastic mode of succession, with royal connotations in both styles awarded (even a double invocation 16 December 1653 – 3 September 1658 "By the Grace of God and Republic Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland") and many other monarchic prerogatives, such as that of awarding knighthoods.
Richard Cromwell, who succeeded after his father's death in September 1658, held the position for only eight months before he resigned in May 1659. He was followed by the second period of Commonwealth rule until theRestoration of the exiled heir to the Stuart throne,Charles II, in May 1660.
| Lord Protector | Lifespan | Term began | Term ended |
|---|---|---|---|
 Oliver Cromwell | (1599-04-25)25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658(1658-09-03) (aged 59) | 16 December 1653 | 3 September 1658(Died) |
%2c_by_Gerard_Soest.jpg) Richard Cromwell | (1626-10-04)4 October 1626 – 12 July 1712(1712-07-12) (aged 85) | 3 September 1658 | 25 May 1659(Resigned) |
Since the Restoration the title has not been used in either of the above manners.George, Prince of Wales, appointed to the regency in 1811, was referred to as "His Royal Highness thePrince Regent". George exercised the powers of the monarchy, just as Lords Protector had, but the title's republican associations had rendered it distasteful.
'Lord Protector' has also been used as a rendering of LatinAdvocatus in the sense of a temporal Lord (such as a monarch) who acted as the protector of the mainly secular interests of a part of the church; compare the French title ofvidame.
In the novelThe Last Man byMary Shelley, Britain becomes a republic with its elected head of state styled as Lord Protector. The title is held by Lord Raymond, and Ryland. In the 1987 television seriesThe New Statesman's finale episode, "The Irresistible Rise of Alan B'Stard", after B'Stard's New Patriotic Party wins a landslide majority in a special general election called over British membership of theEuropean Economic Community but with himself not having contested a seat, he briefly considered adopting the title of Lord Protector before being permitted to serve as an extra-parliamentaryprime minister. Inthe 2008 film adaptation ofC. S. Lewis' children's novelPrince Caspian, the antagonist Miraz begins as Lord Protector of Narnia before being proclaimed King (a change from the novel). In the 2020 filmWolfwalkers the Lord Protector serves as its primary antagonist.[citation needed]
