Charles I - Info sheet

Charles I, born on 19 November 1600 in Fife, was the second son of King James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark. His accession to the throne came in 1625 after the death of his older brother Henry, making Charles the heir and subsequently the King of England and Ireland following the passing of Elizabeth I. Charles married Henrietta Maria of France shortly after becoming king, and their union resulted in five children. Despite a happy marriage, Charles's reign was marred by religious tension. His affinity for High Anglican practices, combined with his wife's Catholicism, aroused suspicion among his subjects, particularly the Puritans. His political actions, which included dissolving Parliament multiple times, contributed to an atmosphere of unrest and distrust.

Charles I's governance was further challenged by his attempt to enforce a new prayer book in Scotland, which sparked significant opposition and eventually led to the cessation of his personal rule. Financial pressures from conflicts with the Scots forced him to reconvene Parliament. The situation deteriorated in November 1641 amidst disputes over military leadership to suppress an Irish rebellion. Charles exacerbated the crisis by attempting to arrest five members of Parliament, leading to his declaration of war by raising the royal standard in Nottingham in August 1642. This act marked the beginning of the English Civil War, a pivotal and bloody conflict in British history that pitted the king's supporters, known as Cavaliers, against the Parliamentarians, famously referred to as Roundheads.