Consequently, the Stewart era saw periods of royal inertia, during which the nobles usurped power from the crown, followed by periods of personal rule by the monarch, during which he or she would attempt to address the issues created by their own minority and the long-term effects of previous reigns.
Por este motivo, a era dos Estuardo está considerado como un período de inercia real, durante o cal os nobres usurparon o poder da coroa, seguido de períodos de goberno persoal polo monarca, que trataría de abordar os problemas creados pola súa minoría de idade e os efectos a longo prazo dos reinados anteriores.