King Charles I
The Royalists were led by King Charles I
Charles was born 19th November 1600 at Dunfermline Palace in Scotland, to James I of England and Anne of Denmark. His reign lasted almost 24 years, from 27 March 1625 until 30th January 1649 when he was beheaded. He was aged 24 when he ascended to the throne.
Charles was the second son of James I and Anne of Denmark, who also had 2 other sons and 5 daughters. Just three of their children survived infancy; Henry, Elizabeth and Charles. He became heir to the throne on the death of his brother Henry in 1612. His father favoured the marriage of the Spanish infanta Maria Anna, but Parliament was hostile to Spain...
Charles was born 19th November 1600 at Dunfermline Palace in Scotland, to James I of England and Anne of Denmark. His reign lasted almost 24 years, from 27 March 1625 until 30th January 1649 when he was beheaded. He was aged 24 when he ascended to the throne.
Charles was the second son of James I and Anne of Denmark, who also had 2 other sons and 5 daughters. Just three of their children survived infancy; Henry, Elizabeth and Charles. He became heir to the throne on the death of his brother Henry in 1612. His father favoured the marriage of the Spanish infanta Maria Anna, but Parliament was hostile to Spain...
Spanish infanta Maria Anna
...and so in 1625 he married Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV of France.
Henrietta Maria
Charles and Henrietta Maria had 9 children in total; 4 sons and 5 daughters. These included Charles and James, who became Charles II and James II, and Mary who married William II of Orange.
Charles James Mary
King Charles firmly believed in the divine right of kings. His belief was that kings become rulers of a nation by the sovereign grace of God and therefore their subjects should obey them as the Lord's anointed.
Those who go against the king, resisting his authority or refuse allegiance to the king are rebelling not only against the king but against the order the God himself has established. Charles wanted an absolute monarchy who was above the law, and was questionable only to God.
"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me."
:- Quote from the bible.
So it's of no surprise that friction between the King and Parliament began at once. Charles struggled to control Parliament who resented hiss attempts to absolute rule. One of his first acts was to dissolve parliament in 1625, and again in 1626, after attempts to question the integrity of the Duke of Buckingham over war again Spain, and support of the French Huguenots.
His advisers Earl Strafford (above left) and Archbishop Laud (above right) persecuted the Puritans
King Charles was known for his support of the 'high- church' However religious practices aroused considerable alarm among his subjects. Many people, particularly the zealous protestants (puritans) began to fear that Charles was pursuing a hidden agenda; that he planned to remove his people's rights and liberties and restore England to the Catholic fold. In 1637 Laud and Charles attempted to introduce the English Book of Common Prayer in his northern kingdom of Scotland, and a major rebellion erupted.
The king did not have enough money to raise an army against the Scots and was therefore forced to summon a Parliament. Yet the men he assembled at Westminster were unwilling to give the king the money he needed until their own grievances had been dealt with, and so King Charles dissolved it just 3 weeks after it was formed. The Scots then advanced into England and forced their own terms on Charles. The long parliament formed November 1640 under John Pym, and passed an Act that prevented it from being dissolved without its own consent.
Laud and other ministers were imprisoned, and Strafford was condemned to death. There was the beginning of direct confrontation between Charles and Parliament. Charles unsuccessfully attempted to arrest 5 parliamentary leaders on 4th January 1642. He withdrew from London, and confident that he would have substantial support of those who believed that Parliament was becoming too Puritanical, he declared war on Parliament by raising his standards at Nottingham on 22nd August. This sparked the beginning of the English Civil War 1642 to 1648.
Laud and other ministers were imprisoned, and Strafford was condemned to death. There was the beginning of direct confrontation between Charles and Parliament. Charles unsuccessfully attempted to arrest 5 parliamentary leaders on 4th January 1642. He withdrew from London, and confident that he would have substantial support of those who believed that Parliament was becoming too Puritanical, he declared war on Parliament by raising his standards at Nottingham on 22nd August. This sparked the beginning of the English Civil War 1642 to 1648.
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