Charles I
Charles I of England was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 until his beheading in 1649, for treason against the country of England. He was a supporter of the Divine Right of Kings, which was the belief that kings received their power from God, which eventually started a Civil War against the Puritans and the English Parliament.
Charles was very aware of everything that he needed to do in order to become a great ruler and was strict with himself in ensuring that he did this. However, he was influenced by those close to him and listened to advice given to him by his wife Henrietta Maria and the Duke of Buckingham, even though they perhaps did not have the best interests of the country at heart and were attempting to influence religion or part of a faction within the court. However, Charles was very diligent with work concerning government, keeping close control of the appointment of senior ministers and ensuring that important decisions were made by him.
Charles I was shy, small and had a stutter, which probably made him insecure. His court was very grand and formal. It was held in magnificent palaces and great painters were invited to attend. The people that attended wore expensive clothing. Charles I had rules about how everyone should behave. He also restricted the number of people who could go to his court. They had to have an appointment, the Duke of Buckingham, his right-hand man, controlled access to Charles I.
Charles I shared the same belief of Divine Right as his father James I, as he says "Kings are not bound to give an account of their actions but to God alone”. His strong belief in Divine Right added to the worry and difficulties between him and Parliament. Also Charles became more and more influenced by Archbishop William Laud. Protestants didn’t like the Archbishop, and Puritans opposed the influence he had on the King and the Church. Archbishop Laud made changes to the Church which caused much grief in England....