The very foundation of the British state fractures. I want to discover how our government can fall apart. Lisa Hilton, Charles I: Downfall of a King II: A Nation Divided
This collision of world-views plunges England into a decade of violence and sends the King sliding towards the executioner’s axe. ibid.
As a Puritan, Pym fears England is ripe for foreign Catholic invasion. He thinks Charles is a dangerous king … Pym’s London radicals dominate the benches. ibid.
Protests spawned riots: riots turn into a national uprising. Attacking the prayer book, rebels did not mince their words. ibid.
Now things get really personal. ibid.
Fuelled by ale, the London apprentices are on the rampage … ‘No Bishops! No Popish Lords!’ ibid.
Charles loses control of the parliament and the people in one foul swoop. ibid.
London is in meltdown. Once a laughable minority, the Puritans have swept into power. ibid.
1st January 1642: Charles summons John Pym. ibid.
A new plan: if he [Charles I] can’t beat Pym, he’ll try and do a deal to get him on side: at a secret meeting at Whitehall Palace he offers him the coveted role of Chancellor of the Exchequer … He refuses the offer. Lisa Hilton, Charles I: Downfall of a King III: The Final Showdown
The Queen’s religion is one of Pym’s most potent weapons. ibid.
Pym is trying to push the King over the edge. ibid.
But the King has no choice except retreat [from parliament]. As he does, their fury finds its voice in cries of, Privilege! ibid.
Mighty John Pym now rules over an abandoned London with 10,000 troops at his command: a myriad of plots, blunders and obstinacy have brought us to this cliff edge. Now in January 1642 war is all but inevitable. ibid.
On 30th January 1649 Charles I’s head was severed from his body. This anointed king was killed in the full light of day with the backing of parliament. This brutal act of regicide comes after seven years of war that divides towns, friends and even families. Lisa Hilton, Charles I: Killing a King I, BBC 2019
But Cromwell is up against a king who is absolutely convinced of his divine right to rule. Charles believes he is answerable to God and not parliament, but the reality is he is a prisoner of parliament. ibid.
Friday 5th January 1649: Everything is moving towards putting the King on trial. The country is inching closer to calling the King to account for his role in the bloodshed of the Civil War. But God is never far from politics. ibid.
It’s January 1649: Parliament has voted to put King Charles I on trial for treason. If he is found guilty, he will be executed. Parliament are demanding that Charles be made to pay for his role in the conflict in the civil war. But how will the people of England react when the news is made public? And how exactly do you put a king on trial. Lisa Hilton, Charles I: Killing a King II
How the nation affect this radical step the reverberations of which are still felt to this day. ibid.
Moderate Puritan MPs expelled from parliament implore Fairfax to take action to stop the trial. ibid.
When another commissioner voices deep reservations about the legality of the trial, Cromwell snaps. ibid.
For the last two days the King of England has been publicly on trial accused of being a tyrant, a traitor, a murderer, and a public and implacable enemy to the commonwealth of England. Lisa Hilton, Charles I: Killing a King III
Any compassion for the king threatens to destroy these fragile proceedings. ibid.
He sees a huge crowd held back by troops. He sees the block. ibid.
London 30th January 1959: After 7 years of Civil War the King’s forces are defeated. Republican MPs sign a document that will change England forever: the death warrant of King Charles I. Royal Kill List I: The Death Warrant, Sky Showcase 2024
This is unheard of: the first and only time in British history a reigning monarch has been executed. ibid.