author
King of England Charles I
1600–1649
Remembered as one of the most consequential and controversial monarchs in British history, this Stuart king ruled with a strong belief in royal authority that brought him into deep conflict with Parliament. His reign ended in civil war, trial, and execution, making him the only English king to be publicly beheaded.
1 Audiobook
Eikon Basilike The Pourtracture of His Sacred Majestie, in His Solitudes and Sufferings
by King of England Charles I, John Gauden
About the author
Born at Dunfermline Palace in Scotland on 19 November 1600, he was the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England and was not originally expected to inherit the throne. After the death of his older brother, Prince Henry, he became heir and succeeded his father in 1625, ruling England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Charles believed firmly in the divine right of kings and often clashed with Parliament over money, religion, and the limits of royal power. Those disputes helped drive the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, including the English Civil War, as his supporters and Parliament's forces fought over how the country should be governed.
Defeated by Parliament's armies, he was put on trial for treason and executed in London on 30 January 1649. His life and death reshaped the monarchy's place in British history, and he remains a central figure in any account of seventeenth-century Britain.