Charles I of England
Charles I of England was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from March 27, 1625 until his beheading on January 30, 1649. He was a subscriber to the philosophy of the Divine Right of Kings, which held that the king ruled by God's will and not by any other authority, eventually sparking a Civil War against the Puritans and the English Parliament.
Fast Facts:
- Born: January 30, 1649 in Dunfermline, Scotland
- Reign: 1625-1649
- House of Stuart
- Predecessor: James VI, James I
- Successor: Charles II, Oliver Cromwell
- Son of James I
- Also known as "King Charles the Martyr"
- Height: 5'4"
- Constantly sick as a child
- Spoke with a stutter
- Violent and frightening temper
- First Monarch to be criminally tried while still holding title
- Thomas Cromwell had his head re-sewn to his body
- Died: January 30, 1649 in Whitehall, England
Timeline
- 1629-1640: "Eleven Years Tyranny" during which Charles ruled without Parliament
- January 20, 1649: Charles trial for "high treason" begins
- January 30, 1649: Executed by beheading at the Palace of Whitehall
The English Civil War
Charles often had conflicts with his Parliament, tending to simply dissolve the body when they disagreed with his decisions. In November of 1640, at the advice of his counsel, Charles summoned a Parliament that came to be known as The Long Parliament, and which quickly passed legislation requiring Parliament to meet at least once every three years, regardless of whether or not they were summoned. The body also passed the Grand Remonstrance, a list of overreaches and abuses of royal power by Charles.
This set off a series of armed conflicts between supporters of Parliament (known as Parliamentarians) and supporters of Charles (and after his execution, supporters of his son, Charles II), lasting from 1642 to 1651. The wars ended with the escape of Charles II from England and the establishment of the Commonweath of England under Oliver Cromwell.
Categories
