Charles I

(1600 - 1649)

A believer in the divine right of kings, Charles I often clashed with the House of Commons. In early 1647 parliamentary forces placed him under house arrest, which he attempted to evade through secret negotiations with Scotland. After England defeated Scotland at the Battle of Preston, Charles was put on trial as “the grand author of our troubles.” He was beheaded in January 1649, declaring before his execution that “for the people…I desire their liberty and freedom as much as anybody,” but “their lib­erty and freedom consists in having government.”