Full Name: Charles Stuart
Profession: King of England
Biography: Charles I was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 when he inherited the throne as second son of King James I and VI. His older brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, was due to inherit the throne but died of typhoid fever in 1612.
Charles' reign was characterized by internal discontent concerning political and religious issues of the day, particularly with his marrying a Catholic, and ultimately descended into chaos with the English Civil War. He ultimately lost this war and was eventually executed for high treason.
This event marked the turning point for the English crown, with the monarchy thereafter being abolished and replaced with a republic titled the Commonwealth of England. Charles' son King Charles II briefly restored the monarchy some years later in the Stuart Restoration, but this did not last.
Born: November 19, 1600
Birthplace: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Star Sign: Scorpio
Died: January 30, 1649 (aged 48)
Cause of Death: Decapitation
Articles and Photos
Misery of The King's Executioner
He may have caused civil war but the execution of King Charles I shocked many Englishmen and caused untold anguish for the man who took the royal life.
June 20, 1649The Day They Banned Christmas
Gearing up for a day of Christmas festivities, would-be US revellers in Boston faced bad news on this day. All such celebrations had been declared illegal.
December 24, 1659Botched Crown Jewels Theft Pays Off
Thomas Blood, who tried to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London on this day was not only forgiven by the King, but given a reward.
May 9, 1671
Married Life
- 1625-06-13 English king Charles I marries French princess Henrietta Maria at Canterbury cathedral in Canterbury, England
Historical Events
- 1625-03-27 Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland ascends the English throne
- 1626-06-15 King Charles I disbands English parliament
- 1628-03-01 Writs are issued in February by Charles I of England mandating that every county in England (not just seaport towns) pay ship tax by this date
- 1628-03-04 England's King Charles I grants a royal charter to Massachusetts Bay Colony
- 1628-06-07 English King Charles I ratifies the Petition of Rights
- 1629-03-02 English King Charles I dissolves Parliament against opposition, imprisoning 9 members of parliament
- 1629-03-10 English King Charles I dissolves Parliament for the 4th time in his reign, summons new Parliament 11 years later, only to be dissolved after 3 months
- 1629-10-30 King Charles I gives Bahamas to Sir Robert Heath
- 1634-02-03 Most elaborate masque of the Carolinian age - "The Triumph of Peace" held at Whitehall Palace, London, in front of King Charles I, written by James Shirley with sets by Inigo Jones
- 1634-10-20 King of England Charles I levies the "Ship Money" tax on all English and Welsh counties
- 1640-08-28 Second Bishop's War: King Charles I's English army loses to a Scottish Covenanter force at the Battle of Newburn
- 1640-10-28 English King Charles I signs a peace treaty with the Scottish Covenanters, ending the Second Bishops' War
- 1641-02-16 English king Charles I accepts Triennial Act requiring that Parliament meet for at least a fifty-day session once every three years
- 1642-01-04 King Charles I, with 400 soldiers, attacks the English Parliament
- 1642-01-10 King Charles I and family flee London for Hampton Court fearing for their lives, not to return for 7 years
- 1642-05-30 All honours granted by Charles I are retrospectively annulled by Parliament
- 1642-10-23 Battle of Edgehill (Warwickshire): King Charles I beat English parliamentarian forces
- 1642-11-13 Battle at Turnham Green outside London: King Charles I vs English parliament
- 1643-09-20 First Battle of Newbury (English civil war): King Charles I's forces beaten by a parliamentary army led by the Earl of Essex and Philip Stapleton
- 1644-10-27 Second Battle of Newbury: King Charles I's Royalist army and the armies of Parliamentary fight an indecisive battle at Speen in Berkshire
- 1645-06-14 Battle of Naseby, Leicestershire: Parliament's New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax defeats the Royalist forces of English King Charles I
- 1646-04-27 On the verge of defeat, King Charles I flees Oxford for a Scottish army camp close to Southwell near Newark-on-Trent
- 1646-05-05 King Charles I surrenders in Scotland
- 1646-07-30 English parliament sets King Charles I Newcastle Propositions
- 1647-01-30 After nine months of negotiations, Scottish Presbyterians sell captured Charles I to English Parliament for around £100,000
- 1647-06-04 English Parliamentary army under Cornet George Joyce takes King Charles I as a prisoner during Second Civil War
- 1648-03-20 King Charles I of England first tries to escape captivity at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight by climbing out a window - but gets stuck
- 1648-05-29 King Charles I of England attempts to escape captivity at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight, for second time by hacksawing through a barred window but caught in the act
- 1649-01-06 The English Rump Parliament votes to put Charles I on trial for treason and other "high crimes"
- 1660-10-17 Nine Regicides, the men who signed the death warrant of Charles I, are hanged, drawn and quartered, another is hanged.
- 1669-11-16 French state funeral for Henrietta Maria, princess of France, widow of English King Charles I, at St Denis with famous oration by Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Biographies and Sources
- Charles I: A Royal Prisoner at Carisbrooke Castle - English Heritage