Charles I and the Puritan Revolution (1625–1649)

When Charles I came to the throne in 1625, England was already deeply divided over religion and the power of the monarchy. Charles believed strongly in the divine right of kings, the idea that monarchs ruled directly under God and were accountable only to Him. This absolutist view immediately clashed with Parliament, which believed it had a right to limit royal authority—especially when it came to taxes and national policy. Charles’s insistence on ruling without compromise, combined with his unpopular religious and financial decisions, would ultimately lead England into a devastating civil war known as the Puritan Revolution.

One of Charles’s earliest conflicts came from his marriage to the French Catholic princess Henrietta Maria, which made many English Protestants suspicious of his religious loyalty. His close relationship with the controversial Archbishop William Laud, who promoted elaborate Anglican rituals that resembled Catholicism, only made matters worse. Parliament—dominated by Puritans, a strict Protestant group—saw these moves as attempts to return England to Catholicism. When Parliament resisted granting him money for wars in Europe, Charles dissolved Parliament and ruled alone for eleven years, a period known as the Personal Rule (1629–1640). During this time, he raised funds through forced loans and unpopular taxes such as “ship money,” angering the people and strengthening opposition against him.

Tensions exploded when Charles attempted to impose the Anglican prayer book on Scotland in 1637, sparking the Bishops’ Wars and forcing him to recall Parliament to raise funds. The newly convened “Long Parliament” in 1640 quickly moved to limit his power and demand reforms. When Charles tried to arrest five members of Parliament in 1642, the nation split—supporters of the king became known as Royalists or Cavaliers, while supporters of Parliament were called Roundheads, led by figures like Oliver Cromwell. The ensuing English Civil War (1642–1649) was brutal, pitting family against family and reshaping English politics forever.

Parliament’s forces eventually triumphed, and Charles I was captured, tried for treason, and executed in 1649—a shocking event in European history. His death symbolized the first major challenge to absolute monarchy in England and marked the rise of parliamentary power. The Puritan Revolution not only ended Charles’s reign but also laid the groundwork for modern constitutional government and the idea that even kings are subject to the law.