21. Round 2 and a deluded king’s fine death

21. Round 2 and a deluded king’s fine death

When the Scots began to worry about the increasing power of the New Model Army, and even whether it might be a bigger threat to them than the king, they decided to open negotiations with him. The result was a strange alliance between former enemies. Charles escaped and joined them, launching the Second English Civil War.

Which he lost, just like the First.

This time, though, his enemies had run out of patience with him. They decided that he had to go. For that, they organised a show trial, but even to get that they first had to pull off a military coup.

With all that in place, they got their trial and eventually the execution they wanted. Which Charles went to with courage and dignity, that won him widespread affection again. In fact, he handled his death so well that it seems rather a pity he didn't handle his life as wisely.




The illustration is an engraving from Nalson’s Record of the Trial of Charles I. Plate 2 from “A True copy of the journal of the High Court of Justice for the tryal of K. Charles I as it was read in the House of Commons and attested under the hand of Phelps, clerk to that infamous court”, taken by J. Nalson Jan. 4, 1683. Credit: British Museum / Commons.

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

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