Here are a few key reasons why King Charles I is an important figure in history:
- He was the first English monarch to be executed for treason, marking a significant shift in the balance of power away from the divine right of kings towards parliamentary rule. His execution established the precedent that even monarchs are not above the law.
- His reign saw the outbreak of the English Civil War, a defining moment in British history that led to the temporary overthrow of the monarchy and establishment of the republican Commonwealthwealth under Oliver Cromwell's rule.
- The civil war was partly a result of tensions between Charles' belief in the divine right of kings and the rising power of Parliament. This conflict over sovereignty and parliamentary authority continued