Which king appointed Catholics to high office and was deposed after his wife bore a son?

• A. Charles II
• B. James II
• C. Charles I
• D. James I

Answer: (B)

This question tests how religious politics and succession crises influenced monarchy in late 17th‑century England. James II pursued pro‑Catholic policies, appointing Catholics to high offices and relaxing restrictions that kept Catholics from power. That trend alarmed the Protestant establishment and Parliament, who feared a Catholic monopoly over the throne. The tipping point came when his wife, Mary of Modena, gave birth to a son in 1688, guaranteeing a Catholic dynasty and triggering widespread opposition. As a result, William of Orange was invited to intervene, James II fled, and the throne passed to William and Mary in the Glorious Revolution. The other kings listed were involved in different conflicts or eras and were not deposed specifically because a wife bore a son.