KING CHARLES I
Lived: 1600-1649
Reigned: 1625-1649

King Charles I
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While Charles was one of England’s most moral of kings (he was a devoted
family man who did not take a mistress as many of his predecessors and
successors did) he was one of the least
popular or successful to ever sit on the throne. Over the course
of his reign, a rift grew between him and Parliament, a rift that eventually
lead the country into a bloody Civil War (1642-1651). On the King’s
side were the Royalists, known as Cavaliers, and on the opposite
side were the Parliamentarians, known as Roundheads For eleven years
the King had ruled without Parliament in what is known
as The Personal Rule (1629-1640), and while it was not uncommon
for there to be long periods inbetween parliamentary sessions, the attitude
toward monarchy was not what it had been in the Tudor period. Since the
Reformation, many aristocratic families had been enriched by church lands and church
silver, and they were eager to consolidate their wealth with political
power. In short, many believed that the monarchy had become tyrannical,
and they wanted a more democratic form of government.
For several years the Cavaliers and Roundheads battled on
fields all over the country. Charles gave
a good fight for his throne and showed tremendous fortitude and courage
in the face of aggressive opposition, but despite a valiant effort to suppress
his enemies, the Parliamentarians eventually won. Charles was captured,
found guilty of treason against his own country, and beheaded on 30 January
1649. For the next eleven years, Britain was, for the first and only time
in modern history, a republic (called The Commonwealth). During
these troublesome years, the country was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and
then his son, Richard Cromwell, in what was effectively a military
rule. Cromwell and his supporters were Puritans (ultra left-wing Protestants)
who not only closed all the theatres in London (believing them to be immoral)
but also banned Christmas. To some people, Oliver Cromwell is a hero, to
others a tyrant who ruled by military force. Most people in England
were very glad when the monarchy was restored in 1660 and Charles I's son,
also named Charles, became
King
Charles II.
