Charles I of England
Charles I (November 19, 1600 - January 30, 1649) was King of Scotland, England, and Ireland (March 27, 1625 - January 30, 1649), and is most notable for being the only British monarch to be overthrown and beheaded. He was the son and successor of James VI and I.
Born at Dunfermline Palace, he came to the throne while much of Europe was moving towards domination by all-powerful monarchs, such as Louis XIV of France. Charles attempted to pursue similar policies but was limited by a robust parliamentary opposition. There was widespread opposition to many of Charles' actions. These included the use of the Court of the Star Chamber to suppress dissent; a policy of taxation without the approval of Parliament; and a religious policy that was attempting to bring the Anglican Church closer to Catholicism.
On June 13, 1625 he married Henrietta Maria de Bourbon, daughter of King Henry IV of France. Together, they had nine children, four sons and five daughters.:
- Charles James Stuart, Duke of Cornwall - (March 13, 1629 - March 13, 1629).
- King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland - (May 29, 1630 - February 6, 1685).
- Mary Stuart, later wife of William II, Prince of Orange- (November 4, 1631 - December 24, 1660).
- King James II of England and Ireland/James VII of Scotland - (October 14, 1633 - September 6, 1701).
- Elizabeth Stuart - (December 29, 1635 - September 8, 1650).
- Anne Stuart - (March 17, 1637 - November 5, 1640).
- Catherine Stuart - (June 29, 1639 - June 29, 1639).
- Henry, Duke of Gloucester - (July 8, 1640 - September 13, 1660).
- Henrietta Anne Stuart, later by marriage Duchess of Orleans - (June 16, 1644 - June 30, 1670).
When Charles attempted to disregard Parliament on March 10, 1629 and rule by himself, civil war broke out. The English Civil War was sparked by many issues, and Charles was not fully to blame. He had no sense of public opinion and in general lacked the political skills which might have been expected of a king. When the parliamentary forces won the war, he was tried by an illegal parliament and was convicted of treason against the state. He was beheaded on June 30, 1649. His death warrant refers to him as "Charles Stuart, King of England".
Parliament asserted its legal authority even over the monarch, rather than claiming that he was no longer king. Oliver Cromwell would become Lord Protector" of England, a position which was a virtual dictatorship.
King Charles I is buried in the Henry VIII vault at Windsor Castle.
There are several Episcopalian churches dedicated to Charles I as "King and Martyr," in England, Canada, and the United States of America. A commemoration of Charles I was added to the Book of Common Prayer by Charles II upon the Restoration, observed on January 30. The commemoration was removed by order of Queen Victoria in her capacity as head of the Church of England.
In the Restoration, his eldest surviving son regained the thrones of Scotland, England, and Ireland as Charles II.
| Preceded by: James I of England/ James VI of Scotland |
List of British monarchs | Succeeded by: Oliver Cromwell |