- 1625-1649: King of England, Ireland & Scotland
- 1649: Death by Execution
Charles I Stuart, King of England, King of Ireland, King of Scotland, was born 19 November 1600 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom to James I of England (1566-1625) and Anne of Denmark (1574-1618) and died 30 January 1649 Palace of Whitehall, London, England, United Kingdom of execution by decapitation. He married Henrietta Marie de Bourbon (1609-1669) 11 May 1625 in Paris, France.
Biography
King Charles I was the monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born on November 19, 1600, at Dunfermline Palace in Scotland, the second son of King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) and his wife, Anne of Denmark.
Charles was educated by a number of prominent scholars, including the poet and playwright Ben Jonson, and he became a skilled linguist, fluent in English, French, and Spanish. He married Henrietta Maria of France in 1625, and they had nine children.
After his succession in 1625, Charles quarrelled with the English Parliament, which sought to curb his royal prerogative. He believed in the divine right of kings, and was determined to govern according to his own conscience. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, in particular the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch. His religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, generated antipathy and mistrust from Reformed religious groups such as the English Puritans and Scottish Covenanters, who thought his views too Catholic.
In 1642, the conflict between Charles and Parliament erupted into the English Civil War. Charles's royalist forces were defeated by the parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell, and he was eventually captured and put on trial for high treason. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, and he was executed on January 30, 1649, outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London.
Charles's execution was a momentous event in English history, marking the end of the monarchy and the beginning of a period of republican rule known as the Commonwealth of England. His death also had significant implications for the future of the monarchy in England, as it created a legacy of mistrust between the monarch and Parliament that persisted for centuries.
Charles was canonized as a martyr by the Church of England in 1660, and his son, Charles II, was restored to the throne in the same year, ending the Commonwealth period.
Marriage and Family
An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to the Spanish Habsburg princess Maria Anna culminated in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiation. Two years later, he married the Bourbon princess Henrietta Maria of France.
- Charles James Stuart, Duke of Cornwall and Rothes (1629-1629) - born and died the same day, buries as "Charles, Prince of Wales"
- Charles II of England (1630-1685)+James II of England (1633-1701) -- In 1660 family restored to the throne as King of England. Married Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705) in 1662. No legitimate liveborn issue, but many acknowledged illegitimate offspring.
- Mary Henrietta Stuart (1631-1660) - Married William II, Prince of Orange (1626–1650) in 1641. She had one child: William III.
- James II of England (1633-1701) - Married (1) Anne Hyde (1637–1671) in 1659. Had issue including Mary II and Anne, Queen of Great Britain;
Married (2) Mary of Modena (1658–1718) in 1673. Had issue.
- Elizabeth Stuart (1635-1650) - died young, age 14
- Anne Stuart (1637-1640) - died young, age 3
- Catherine Stuart (1639-1639) - born and died on same day.
- Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester (1640-1660) - no issue, died age 20
- Henrietta Anne Stuart (1644-1670) - Married Philip, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701) in 1661. Had issue.
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince Of Wales (1594-1612) | |||
| Elizabeth Stuart (1596-1662) | 19 August 1596 | 13 February 1662 | Friedrich V. von der Pfalz (1596-1632) |
| Margaret Stuart (1598-1600) | |||
| Charles I of England (1600-1649) | 19 November 1600 Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom | 30 January 1649 Palace of Whitehall, London, England, United Kingdom | Henrietta Marie de Bourbon (1609-1669) |
| Robert Stuart, Duke of Kintyre (1602-1602) | |||
| Mary Stuart (1605-1607) | |||
| Sophia Stuart (1606-1606) | |||
See Also
- Charles Stuart - disambiguation
- Stuart Family
- Stuart in England -
- Stuart in Scotland -
- Stuart in Ireland -
Bibliography
- Cokayne, George Edward; Gibbs, Vicary; Doubleday, Arthur (1913), The Complete Peerage, III, London: St Catherine Press
- Coward, Barry (2003), The Stuart Age (3rd ed.), London: Longman, ISBN 978-0-582-77251-9
- Cust, Richard (2005), Charles I: A Political Life, Harlow: Pearson Education, ISBN 0-582-07034-1, https://archive.org/details/charlesipolitica00cust
- Donaghan, Barbara (1995), "Halcyon Days and the Literature of the War: England's Military Education before 1642", Past and Present 147 (147): pp. 65–100, doi:10.1093/past/147.1.65
External Links
- wikipedia:en:Charles I of England
- Charles I of England at thePeerage
- Charles I of England, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Charles-I-King-of-England-Scotland-and-Ireland/4498828, retrieved 01 May 2023
- Charles I of England at Find A Grave
- Portraits of King Charles I at the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Charles I at the official website of the British monarchy
- Charles I at the official website of the Royal Collection Trust
- Charles I at BBC History
- The Society of King Charles the Martyr (United States)
- Works by Charles I, King of England at Project Gutenberg
- Charles I - Gotha Report
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Stuart
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
Contemporary References
Some of the best contemporary references for King Charles I include:
- The Personal Rule of Charles I by Kevin Sharpe: This book provides an in-depth analysis of Charles's reign, focusing on his attempts to rule without Parliament from 1629 to 1640.
- The Letters of King Charles I edited by Sir John Fortescue: This collection of Charles's letters provides a firsthand account of his thoughts and actions during his reign.
- The Memoirs of Sir Edmund Ludlow: Ludlow was a prominent parliamentarian and opponent of Charles I, and his memoirs provide a critical perspective on the events of the English Civil War and the trial and execution of the king.
- The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Pepys was a prominent diarist who lived during the reign of Charles II, but his diary includes many references to the events of the earlier Stuart period, including the trial and execution of Charles I.
- Eikon Basilike: This book, purportedly written by Charles himself during his imprisonment, presents a defense of his actions and beliefs and became a popular royalist propaganda tool after his execution.
Original Citations
Royal Marriage Record
Here is an excerpt from the official record of the marriage of King Charles I of England to Henrietta Maria of France, as recorded in the Latin language:
"Decima tertia mensis Maii, Anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo vicesimo quinto, inter serenissimum principem Carolum, Dei gratia Magnae Britanniae, Franciae, et Hiberniae regem, fidei defensorem, etc. et serenissimam principissam Henricettam Mariam, filiam Christianissimi regis Franciae, in capella regia, sancti Iacobi, Londini, nuptiae celebratae sunt, rite ac legitime, a reverendissimo patre, Richardo, episcopo Londinensi, matrimonio conjuncti."
Translated into English, this passage reads: "On the thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-five, a marriage was celebrated in the royal chapel of St. James in London between the most serene prince Charles, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc., and the most serene princess Henrietta Maria, daughter of the Most Christian King of France, duly and lawfully, by the Right Reverend Father Richard, Bishop of London, joined in matrimony."
Royal Record of Execution
Here is an excerpt from the official record of the execution of King Charles I of England, as recorded in the English language. This excerpt is taken from a contemporary account of the execution of Charles I, which was published in the "Mercurius Publicus" newspaper on January 30, 1649.
"After the Sheriffs had read the Sentence of Death at the place of Execution, his Majesty having nothing but White Garments, under which he had a Waistcoat of Flannel, went up the Scaffold, where he spake as followeth:... I shall goe, from a corruptible, to an incorruptible Crowne, where noe disturbance can be, noe disturbance in the World. I forgive all the World, and all the World forgives me in generall, but for some particular persons I know not what they have done against me. Then, turning to Col. Hacker, he said, Take care that they doe not put me to paine. And turning to the Executioner, he said, Are you sure there is no Paine? He answer'd, There is none, Sir."
Royal Succession Charts
Charles I of England (1600-1649) Born: 19 November 1600 Died: 30 January 1649
| ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James I & VI |
King of England and Ireland 1625–1649 |
Vacant Commonwealth Title next held by Charles II
|
| King of Scotland 1625–1649 |
Succeeded by Charles II | |
British royalty
| ||
| Preceded by Henry Frederick |
Duke of Cornwall Duke of Rothesay 1612–1625 |
Vacant Title next held by Charleslater became King Charles II |
| Vacant Title last held by Henry Frederick
|
Prince of Wales 1616–1625 | |
References
Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour
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