8 – Charles I – (1649)
Charles was the second son of James I and became the heir apparent to the English, Scottish and Irish thrones when his oldest brother, Henry Frederick, died in 1612. He fulfilled his destiny in 1625 when his father died, but his reign began with a quarrel with the English Parliament. While Charles believed in the divine right of kings, Parliament was keen to restrict his power. Due to his attitude, Charles was perceived as a tyrant from the outset, and he never tried to change public opinion.
After over a decade of strife and disagreement, matters came to a head with the beginning of the English Civil War in 1642. It pitted the Cavaliers of Charles against the Parliamentary forces, also known as the Roundheads. The Parliament’s New Model Army won a decisive victory at the Battle of Naseby on June 14, 1645. The king’s army lost almost 80% of its number, and the war was over within a year.
Charles fled but was eventually delivered to the Parliament by the Scots in 1647. Instead of executing him, Parliament wanted him to remain as a figurehead with significantly limited powers. The arrogant king wanted his full power back and began making clandestine arrangements. One of these meetings ended in a secret treaty with the Scots in December 1647. The agreement was known as the ‘Engagement’ and outlined that the Scots would invade England and restore the king to the throne as long as he established Presbyterianism in England within three years.
The Second Civil War began in May 1648 as the Royalists rose in rebellion and the Scots invaded England as per their agreement. However, all of the uprisings were quelled, and the Scots suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Preston in August 1648. Initially, the Parliament voted to continue negotiating with the king but ultimately, they realized that he remained a threat as long as he lived. In January 1649, he was put on trial for treason, found guilty, and executed at Whitehall on January 30. The head of Charles was severed from his body by one clean stroke from a professional executioner.