Did the Scottish Parliament divide into two estates, the Lords and the Commons following the establishment of the Magna Carta in England?
Okay, let's break down the structure of the Scottish Parliament. While the Magna Carta in England certainly influenced legal and political thought across Britain, the Scottish Parliament developed its own distinct structure. Unlike the English Parliament, which evolved into two houses – the Lords and the Commons – the Scottish Parliament was traditionally composed of three Estates. These were the Lords (nobility), the Commons (burgh representatives), and the Clergy (church officials). This three-part division reflected the significant power held by the Church in Scotland at the time. So, the statement that the Scottish Parliament divided into only two estates after the Magna Carta is incorrect because it leaves out the crucial third estate: the Clergy. It's easy to get confused because the English system is more widely known, but remember that Scotland had its own unique parliamentary setup.
Three's a company! The Scottish Parliament was split into three entities: Lords, Commons and the Clergy.