The origins of the Civil War are evident in the early reign of Charles I. Although Charles' period of personal rule appeared to be successful, conflict simmered below the surface, often focused on religion. William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, initiated a series of high church reforms which antagonised Puritans and led to a wave of religious persecution. Charles' French wife, Henrietta Maria, became a focus for Catholic sentiment at court and this reinforced the notion that Charles was a 'closet papist', while Charles' refusal to assist fellow Protestants in Europe during the Thirty Years War only strengthened this belief. While English tensions simmered below the surface, the Scottish origins of the English Civil War are extremely important. Charles' attempt to impose an Anglican Prayer book on the Scottish Kirk in 1637 resulted in the fiasco of the First Bishops War and the calling of a Parliament in spring 1640, the first for eleven years. However, while Charles expected the Parliament to provide support and supply for a second Scottish expedition, MPs used this opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with royal policy. Charles dismissed the Parliament after only three weeks. Charles experienced further setbacks during the Second Bishops War and called a second Parliament in November 1640. During this Parliament, the King's opponents aimed their fire on royal advisers Laud and Strafford, resulting in an escalation of crisis. Laud and Strafford were both jailed before the Christmas recess, and Strafford was executed in May 1641. By mid-1641, the crisis seemed to have passed. Charles had caved in to several Parliamentary demands, and he was on his way north to make his peace with the Scots. However, just at this moment, Ireland exploded in rebellion and the three kingdoms were hurtling towards a fresh crisis.