The relationship between the House of Commons and Charles I of England had become increasingly fraught during 1641. The king believed that Puritans, encouraged by five vociferous Members of the House of Commons - John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Arthur Haselrig and William Strode, together with the peer Edward Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (the future Earl of Manchester) - had encouraged the Scots to invade England in the recent Bishops' Wars, and that they were intent on turning the people against him. When rumours reached the court that they were also planning to impeach the queen, Henrietta Maria of France, for alleged involvement in Catholic plots, Charles made accusations of treason against them in the House of Lords. The Commons met to consider the allegations on 3 January 1642, and held them to be a breach of the House's privilege.