Charles Ier of England

Beginning of reign

When its father dies, Charles Ier goes up on the throne in 1625, 25 years old. George Villiers de Buckingham is then its favorite. The king, protesting, chooses the bishop William Laud for régenter the businesses of the Church: however this one is decided to persecute the dissidents. Convinced to hold its royal capacity of divine Right, it makes dissolve the Parlement. It shorts-circuit the parliamentary way to require new taxes.

On the plan of the international relations, it tried against the Spain and the France of forwardings which had the most unhappy exit: the duke of Buckingham fails in forwarding on Cadiz, then with the Siège of the La Rochelle in 1627 - 1628. This failure plays a big role in the degradation of the image of the sovereign in the English opinion.

In 1628, the two rooms of the Parlement address a petition of the rights ( Petition off the Rights ) which recalls to the king his failures with English freedoms: all new tax must be subjected to the assent of the Parliament. It evokes also the need for respecting the Magna Carta of 1215 which ensures of many rights. Charles Ier agrees to only take account of the petition for a time, since, the following year, it raises a new customs tax without the agreement of the Members of Parliament. Vis-a-vis their response, the king decides more to convene it and reign in absolute monarch.

Eleven years of " tyrannie" (1629-1640)

Then open a period during which the members of Parliament compare the king to a tyrant. Charles Ier chooses Wentworth and raises it with the row of Count de Strafford. This last, quite front Jean-Baptiste Colbert in France, tries to reform the management of the budget of the State. It restores taxes, puts an end to the wars and enacts meddlesome payments. The bishop William Laud makes persecute the puritan and tries to impose by the force the Anglicanisme. The censure controls the contents of the works and the bible calvinist is prohibited. In the years 1630, several thousands of Puritain S take refuge in North America.

Charles Ier Stuart, already king d' Angleterre is tardily crowned king of Scotland to Edinburgh in 1633, according to the ritual Anglican, which he wants to see applied in all the kingdom.

But it is the tax pressure which puts fire at the powders: in 1637, John Hampden, a former member of Parliament, is opposed to the tax ship money . It is translated into justice and is condemned to pay a fine. In 1639, the Scot raise himself against the introduction of the prayer book into the liturgy. They push the king to be negotiated.

The Presbytérien S were raised then and written the famous Covenant , act by which they were committed defending their religion until death (1638).

Towards the civil war

Charles, who needs money, who cannot reduce them, sees himself forced to convene the Court Parliament which had not been joined together for 11 years (1640). But it again dissolves it at the end of a few weeks. A new Parliament is elected some time after (the Long Parliament ): the House of Commons to the hands of the opponents to the royal absolutism and is directed by John Pym. Strafford, its principal minister, is stopped and carried out in 1641, then it is the turn of William Laud in 1645. In 1641, whereas the catholics massacre the Protestants in Ireland, the `' Great Remonstrance'' requires the purification of the government and the court. The January 4th 1642, Charles Ier between force in the House of Commons and orders that is delivered to him John Pym and four other opponents. The London people take make and cause for the Parliament whereas the king prefers to withdraw himself with Nottingham in order to gather an army of faithful lends to subduing the rebellion.

The First English revolution (1642-1649)

The first phase of the civil war is initially undecided: she opposes the camp of the round heads (defenders of English freedoms and the rights of the Parliament) to that of the Cavaliers (the party of king Charles Ier), under the orders of the Prince Rupert. The camp of the members of Parliament concludes a bringing together with the Scot whereas the king obtains the support of the Irishmen. At this point in time the war radicalizes under the pressure of intransigent leaders such Oliver Cromwell which beats the Cavalier S with Naseby, the June 14th 1645. The king finds himself in Scotland and is made deliver to the Parlement of London in January 1647. The winners divide and the Niveleurs claim the abolition of monarchy. The November 15th 1647, Charles Ier succeeds in escaping; but it is removed (November 30th 1648), is translated into justice and is condemned to died soon for treason, murder and tyranny. He is decapitated the January 30th 1649 in front of the Palais of Whitehall. He undergoes the torment with dignity, indeed, an anecdote tells that to prove his courage with his torturers, Charles Ier got dressed with several shirts before his execution. Thus, it was not likely to tremble of cold, which would have been perceived like fear.

Posterity

Charles Stuart marries the June 13rd 1625 Henriette de France, girl of the king de France Henri IV and of Marie de Médicis. They have 9 children:

Charles Jacques, Duke of Cornouailles (* † March 13rd 1629),
Charles II (May 29th 1630 - February 16th 1685), king d' Angleterre, of Scotland and Ireland (1660 - 1685),
Marie Henriette (November 4th 1631 - December 24th 1660), wife in 1641 Guillaume II Prince d' Orange (1626 - 1650),
Jacques (October 14th 1633 - September 16th 1701 ), king d' Angleterre and of Scotland (1685 - 1689),
Elisabeth (December 29th 1635 - September 8th 1650),
Anne (March 17th 1637 - November 15th 1640),
Catherine (* † June 29th 1639),
Henri (July 8th 1640 - September 13rd 1660), Duke of Gloucester,
Henriette, wife in 1661 her first cousin Philippe de France, duke of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV .

Charles Ier reigns on the England, the Scotland and the Ireland of 1625 to the January 30th 1649, day of his decapitation with Whitehall, close to Westminster.

Internal bonds

History of England
Absolutism
the Great Remonstrance
Twenty Years after , of Alexandre Dumas, continuation of the Three Musketeers , where is told the capture, the escape and the execution of Charles Ier

External bonds

Simple: Charles I off England

Random links: