Facts

Charles I

Born in 1600 
Ascended in 1625 
Died 1649 (executed), aged 48 
Reigned for 24 years
Married to Henrietta Maria of France bearing 4 sons and 5 daughters.

Charles I was reigning when the Civil War took place: the country was divided between parliament and a king who refused to recognise its power. He dissolved parliament many times before raising his standard in Nottingham to fight the uprising from London in 1642.

The majority of the aristocracy, the peasants and the Anglican establishment supported the king while the middle classes and commercial classes supported parliament. However, the war was messy, with the Irish swapping sides, and when the king was eventually defeated by Cromwell's army he gave in to the mercy of the Scottish who sold him to parliament for 400,000 pounds. 

In 1649, despite an uprising by Welsh parliamentarians who supported him, Charles I was executed on a scaffold in front of the Banqueting House in Whitehall. The death sentence had been passed by a tribunal of 135 judges with a majority of 68 over 67 He died nobly, wearing two shirts to keep off the cold just in case anyone saw him shiver and thought that it was from fear.

Following this, Oliver Cromwell set up The Commonwealth (1649-1653) and the Protectorate (1653-1659) during which time England was a republic with no King or Queen. Cromwell exacted quite stiff laws on the people: adultery, for example, was punishable with death in 1650 although juries were reluctant to convict. Cromwell hated any displays of luxury or wealth from people in the court and furniture and clothes became arid and functional. Cromwell was more interested in fighting than in politics: it was his skills as a soldier that had defeated the king. 

After Cromwell's death in 1658, his son Richard (1626-1712) took over. However he did not have the necessary force of character and parliament forced him to stand down after only one year. The son of the executed king was invited to take the title of Charles II in the restoration of the monarchy.