Commonwealth of England

The Commonwealth of England was a historic republic on the British Isles, established on May 19, 1649, after the dissolution of the Kingdom of England following the Second English Civil War and the execution of Charles I. Its existence was declared by "An Act declaring England to be a Commonwealth." Initially, power was held by Parliament and a Council of State. In 1653, it was enlarged as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, with Oliver Cromwell becoming Lord Protector, a period known as the Protectorate. The Commonwealth dissolved in 1653, though the broader period of republican rule is sometimes considered to last until 1660, when the monarchy was restored.