Our Editor writes:

Because today we value our democratic form of government, we may feel that the Parliamentary side in the Civil War deserves more admiration than the cause and character of King Charles I. I think that Mark Turnbull is right that the King remains a much misunderstood man and monarch. Our constitution has evolved since the seventeenth century. Our modern monarchy may not claim Divine Right but it does claim the duty to protect our liberties under God. Meanwhile our elected parliamentarians are understood as having an interest in the welfare of all the people and not just those of the class from which they may come! The King Charles I Society aims to promote learning in the 17th century, offers help with understanding Charles I, while offering various services to anyone interested in this fascinating period of history.

Mark Turnbull Founder of the King Charles I Society writes:

Charles I is classed simply as the man who believed in Divine Right, leaned too far toward Catholicism went to war, lost, and was beheaded.

Charles was deeply religious and brought great manners to the monarchy. He took his role seriously and his ministers praised the way he would make himself available whenever they need him, often annotating documents. He was starkly modern for his times in respect of building the loving 'role model family unit' of the Royal Family. He never had mistresses, but would show his absolute love of the Queen to all, fostered a close relationship with his children and created a prosperous society, patronising the arts. He went to the aid of the Protestants in France, only hindered by his Parliament's reluctance to give him funds to do so. Charles's character and personality inspire intense feelings; either you love him or hate him. Its interesting to see just how much he tried to avoid civil war and what he gave away to stop it, but he eventually moved towards war after his hand was forced.

He had overcome immense personal suffering in childhood years, experienced tragedy from early bereavements of those close to him, and used pure strength of character to build his own health up from a sickly, near to death baby. A very private man at heart, he did not show this soft side to many. Few, for example, can imagine him giving touching advice, from his own experiences, to a member of his court about curing a stammer, or imagine the intense emotional scene when he said goodbye to his children before his execution. They may not know about the care he took of his enemies and friends alike; sending his own physician to a leading enemy's deathbed, letting several thousand Parliamentary troops go free after Lostwithiel with pardons for fighting against him, sleeping at the front line with his soldiers after the first major battle of the civil war, giving loving advice to his eldest son about caring for the people of Great Britain, ordering him to forgive their enemies.

The prime reason motivating Charles to fight against the men in his Parliament was that he saw them as trying to overturn his people's liberties; liberties he had promised God to protect in his coronation oath. After Charles's death, when Cromwell’s tax burdened and oppressive military dictatorship arrived, his efforts would begin to be appreciated.

Additional Links

In addition to The King Charles I Society, you may wish to investigate The Society of King Charles the Martyr, the King Charles I page at Spartacus and also at Britannia.