Profile of the Day: Charles I of England

Charles I of England

On this day in 1625, Charles I ascended to the throne and became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the death of his father King James VI and I.

Charles was born on November 19, 1600 in Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland. The second son of James IV and I and Anne of Denmark, Charles became the heir apparent after his older brother, Henry, died of typhoid fever in 1612.

On March 25, 1625, Charles became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the death of his father. Just three months later, he married Henrietta Maria, a Roman Catholic the youngest daughter of King Henry IV and sister of Louis XIII of France. Although he had promised Parliament that he would not relax religious restricts on Catholic recusants, he signed a secret marriage treaty with Louis XIII to lift the restrictions. When Charles was crowned on February 2, 1626 at Westminster Abbey, his wife was not by his side because she refused to take part in English Protestant ceremonies.

His conflicts with Parliament continued throughout his reign. Tensions regarding finances and religion mounted and eventually lead to the outbreak of civil war in 1642. Charles was defeated in 1645 and executed for high treason on January 30, 1649. After his death, the monarchy was abolished and the Commonwealth of England was declared. The monarchy would later be restored to his son, Charles II, in 1660.

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Image: New York Public Library