Charles I, King of Great Britain and Ireland

b. 1600 Dunfermline; d. (executed) London 1649

Second son of James I and his wife Anne of Denmark, born at Dunfermline. He was created duke of Albany on his birth, duke of York in 1605, and four years after the death of his elder brother he received the title of Prince of Wales (1616). From about 1620 Charles fell under the influence of Buckingham, his father's Favourite, whose vivacity was in strong contrast with Charles's own slow, serious nature. In 1623 he went to Spain in disguise with Buckingham, in an ill-judged attempt to win the Infanta's love by this romantic adventure. Buckingham and Charles returned home, their mission unsuccessful, loudly denouncing the ill-faith of the Spaniards and calling for war, and in 1624 Parliament voted supplies for war with Spain.

In 1625, in the year in which he became king, Charles married Henrietta Maria of France, a Roman Catholic, who, after Buckingham's death, exercised great and generally unfortunate influence on him in political matters. From 1625 to 1629 Charles was engaged in a constant struggle with Parliament, where his religious and fiscal policies met with increasing opposition. In 1628 his third Parliament met and passed the Petition of Right against taxation without consent of Parliament, and arbitrary and illegal imprisonment. Charles accepted this under pressure, but probably never considered it binding, in view of his theory of the divine right of kings. The defection of Wentworth from the parliamentary opposition at this point suggests that it was at this stage that Parliament really ceased to defend its established rights and became, instead, the innovator in the constitutional struggle. Several of Charles's future actions, though unrealistic, were in fact more firmly based on precedent than those of his opponents.

In 1629 Buckingham was assassinated. In the same year Charles dissolved his third Parliament, and from 1629 until 1640 ruled without calling another. The "Eleven Years' Tyranny" involved Charles in many attempts to raise money for his immediate needs. In almost every way he roused antipathy; and in 1638 came the great Hampden case, when Charles's right to levy ship-money was acknowledged by the courts. His religious policy also roused the ill-feeling of many of his most influential subjects. The High Church party was favoured, the Catholics intermittently tolerated, and the Puritans persecuted. His Scottish policy precipitated matters. In 1633 he had visited Scotland for his Scottish coronation; in 1636 Laud's High Church liturgy was introduced; in 1637 this led to a riot in St Gile's Cathedral and to the signing of the Covenant. A general assembly was called, which abolished episcopacy and prepared to defy the king by force. The King, finding himself unable to raise sufficient forces, hastily summoned Strafford from Ireland and called Parliament. Strafford apparently believed that ,faced with a Scottish war, Parliament would forget its quarrels with Charles and vote him supplies; but he was mistaken. The Short Parliament met in 1640; straight away it began to discuss grievances rather than vote taxes to the King, and was immediately dissolved. Peace was made with the Scots practically on their own terms, and Charles, his finances utterly exhausted, was forced, in November 1640, to call what became known as the Long Parliament. The 11 years' arbitrary rule was over. Fervent Parliamentarians might rejoice; but to the mass of the people, the conflict that was to follow it was infinitely more painful in its effects.

The Parliament, which met in 1640, was in no mood for trifling. Its first aim was to bring about the destruction of its former champion, Strafford, and this was done by attainder; Charles signed Strafford's death-warrant, sacrificing his most loyal and capable servant to fears for the Queen's safety. His treatment of Strafford throughout shows to the full the weaknesses in Charles's own character. Parliament forced concession after concession out of Charles; Parliament was only to be dissolved with its own consent, the Star Chamber and High Commission Court were abolished, and ship-money was declared illegal. In 1641 Charles was forced to listen to the Grand Remonstrance, and early in January 1642 he made the disastrous attempt to imprison the five members. Next, Parliament demanded control of the army. By this time it had alienated a strong body of opinion by its extremist policy. When Charles made it clear that he would give no further concessions this moderate section rallied to his support.

In August 1642, after a series of abortive negotiations with Parliament, Charles raised his standard at Nottingham. The early stages of the war went on the whole in his favour but Parliamentarian forces exerted a strong hold on the most prosperous regions of the country. Eventually the King met with two comprehensive disasters at Marston Moor and Naseby where the New Model Army crushed the Royalists utterly. On 5 May 1646 the King surrendered to the Scots, who, early in 1647, handed him over to the English Parliamentary forces in return for a large payment. He was kept for four months at Holdenbury House near Northampton, but during his negotiation with Parliament he was seized by the army, who imprisoned him at Hampton Court, clearly distrusting the actions being taken and contemplated by Parliament. Charles' subsequent escape and his alliance with the Scots which precipitated the Second Civil War in 1648 convinced the army, and Cromwell, that only his death could ensure that the principles for which they had fought were not endangered. In January 1649 Parliament, having been cleared of all possible supporters of the King by Pride's Purge, resolved to bring the King to trial. This began on 19 January. The King refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the court, and throughout behaved with dignity and self-possession. His execution was resolved upon, he was brought up to hear sentence passed upon him on the 27th, and was not allowed to make any answer to the charges. He was executed at Whitehall Palace on 30 January. The manner of his death, the blatant illegalities and irregularities of his trial made him appear a martyr, and eventually produced a popular reaction in favour of his family.

© JM Dent/Historybookshop.com

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