The regicides of King Charles I

In January 1649, King Charles I of England was put on trial by Parliament. The High Court of Justice established by the same institution found him guilty and sentenced him to death. He was beheaded on January 30th, 1649. Britain was officially without a monarch for the first time in history.

The trial of Charles I

Death warrant of King Charles I signed by 59 commissioners; Oliver Cromwell was among them

In 1653, Oliver Cromwell dissolved Parliament and established the Protectorate with as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. It will not last for long. In 1658, Cromwell passed away and his son Richard Cromwell became Lord Protector. Unfortunately, he was deposed a year later, and in 1660 the monarchy was restored as King Charles II, son of Charles I, ascended to the throne.

Coat of arms of the Protectorate

Richard Cromwell (1626-1712)

King Charles II (1660-1685)

In 1660, Parliament passed Indemnity and Oblivion Act which granted amnesty to many of those who had supported the ''Roundheads'' against Charles I in the English Civil War. Although 104 people were specifically excluded; of these 49 named individuals and the 2 executioners were to face a capital charge. However, 24 of those listed to be executed had already died, including Cromwell and John Bradshaw (the president of the court who sentenced Charles I to death). As a result, they were given a posthumous execution: their remains were exhumed, and they were hanged and beheaded. Their heads were placed on spikes above Westminster Hall, the same place where the trial of Charles I had taken place.

John Bradshaw (1602-1659), President of the High Court of Justice

The execution of the bodies of Cromwell and Bradshaw

A drawing of Oliver Cromwell's head on a spike

Additionally, 10 more people were found guilty of regicide and executed in 1660. In 1662, 3 more regicides were executed, while others were were pardoned and 19 served life imprisonment. 21 people fled Britain, mostly settling in the Lower Countries or Switzerland. 3 of the regicides fled to New England.