English kings flirted on and off with Catholicism throughout the 1600s, up to the point where in 1685 the old king converted on his deathbed and his successor w

English kings flirted on and off with Catholicism throughout the 1600s, up to the point where in 1685 the old king converted on his deathbed and his successor was an unapologetic Catholic. For Protestants during this time it was often difficult to thread the needle of being anti-Catholic without appearing disloyal to the king. Constant remembrance of the Gunpowder Plot provided a saving grace out of this dilemma. Protestants cared too much about the monarch's life to stop being suspicious about Catholicism, regardless of what he might tell them otherwise. There were strong political reasons to make a lot out of the Gunpowder Plot as late as 1745, when a Catholic-led invasion army made it most of the way to London.