Person    | Male  Born 19/11/1600  Died 30/1/1649

King Charles I

Categories: Execution, Royalty, Seriously Famous

Countries: Scotland

Born Fife. Until the age of 11 he was only the 'spare' but then his 18-year old brother Henry died (probably of typhoid) and Charles became the heir, ascending the throne in 1625 on the death of his father, James I. His wife (1625) Henrietta Maria of France was Catholic, he was a High Anglican.

Only 5 feet 4 inches tall, Charles was a firm believer in the divine right of kings and fell out with Parliament in a big way, mainly over money. This all led to the Civil War (1642 - 1646). Charles eventually surrendered and was tried for treason by a tribunal with 135 commissioners who acted as judges and jury, although only 68 ever participated at the trial. He lost by one vote and was beheaded outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall.

21 of those held responsible for his death who had since died and been buried in Westminster Abbey were, on the restoration of his son, Charles II, to the monarchy, dug up and moved to an unmarked pit at nearby St Margarets. See Reburied parliamentarians.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
King Charles I

Commemorated ati

Brentford Monument

Brentford High Street have carried out some magnificent research on Brentford...

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Charles I - beheaded

In about 1945 Hedley Hope-Nicholson, a Charles I fan and central member of th...

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Charles I bust at St Margarets

This is one of a pair, See Charles I beheaded for more information. IanVisit...

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Charles I - Harrow on the Hill

{Above the portrait bust:} Carolus Rex {Below the portrait bust:} Near this ...

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Charles I statue

Made in 1633 during Charles I's reign, London’s oldest bronze statue was inte...

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Show all 12

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Thomas Green

Thomas Green

Monk at London Charterhouse. Taken to Newgate Prison, chained and left to starve to death.

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1 memorial
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk

Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk

Imprisoned by Elizabeth I for plotting to take Mary Queen of Scots as his fourth wife. His pro-Catholic activities led to his beheading on Tower Hill, just like his Dad, Henry Howard.  Father of Ad...

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1 memorial
Henry Adlington

Henry Adlington

Burnt at the stake in Bow (or possibly Stratford) for his Protestant beliefs.

Person, Execution, Religion

1 memorial
Guy Fawkes

Guy Fawkes

Born a protestant in York but became a Catholic when his widowed mother married a Catholic. A professional soldier, he fought for Spain but when he realised that Spain would not invade Britain and ...

Person, Execution, Nationalism, Seriously Famous

1 memorial
John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford

John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford

Born in Essex.  Caught supporting the wrong side when Edward IV assumed the throne, he was arrested and convicted of high treason which led to the loss of his head at Tower Hill.

Person, Execution, Politics & Administration

1 memorial