He did not enter a plea or recognise the legitimacy of the court. The remaining parliament was known as the 'rump' parliament. When it came to the trial, those who were against it were turned away or arrested. Putting a king on trial was a contentious issue. On 20 January 1649 the High Court of Justice at Westminster Hall put him on trial for treason. This meant that they thought that as King they were above the law, and had been chosen by God.Īfter his defeat by Parliament in the Civil Wars, Charles I was imprisoned.

Both his father James I and Charles himself believed in the divine right of kings.

He lost popular support over public welfare issues such as the imposition of drainage schemes in The Fens.

He would only reassemble Parliament to raise funds when he ran out of money because of expensive foreign wars.

In his first four years of ruling he dissolved parliament three times, once for 11 years.

He dissolved Parliament when faced with opposition, effectively ruling alone on a number of occasions.This was a Catholic idea and something that the Puritans did not like. Charles believed that the heads of the church should be treated with deference. Charles married the Catholic Henrietta Maria in the first year of his reign.During Charles’ reign, his actions frustrated his Parliament and resulted in the wars of the English Civil War, eventually leading to his execution in 1649. Charles I succeeded his father James I in 1625 as King of England and Scotland.

Dead space downfall english full