King Charles III ascended the throne immediately after her mother’s death, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-living monarch in history. Charles was the former Prince of Wales and is also the oldest person to become a monarch in the United Kingdom.
As soon as Charles took over the throne, the first decision he had to make was to choose which name he’d like to be called. Since his full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, he could have chosen any one of these four, and he decided on Charles. This makes him King Charles III. The roman numerals suggest that the family has had previous Charles named Kings. Here’s everything you need to know about Charles I and Charles II.
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King Charles I: Who He Was And His Turbulent Reign Which Led To His Execution
King Charles I led the monarchy in a destructive form, and no wonder history remembers him as a tyrant. His ways and methods led to his execution at the age of 49. He was the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland for 11 years. As a child, Charles I was a shy and awkward son, who also had a speech impediment. He was the youngest of the two sons that his father, James I had. When his elder brother, King Henry, died unexpectedly in 1612, Charles became the heir apparent. He was 12 years old at that time. In 1625, he ascended the throne as the King.
His father, James I had left the largest peacetime debt in English history. The country was in financial and political turmoil. Charles I didn’t have the wit or intelligence nor the required knowledge of government affairs to correct the deficits and conflicts arising in his kingdom. His strict beliefs on the divine right of kings, ignorance of the Parliament approvals, tax laws, and religious policies. All of this led to a civil war between the king and the parliament. It created two sides: one’s siding with the kings called the Cavaliers, and the other on Parliament’s side called the Roundheads. Charles the first lost the war. On Jan. 30, 1649, Charles was beheaded. It was one of the most violent wars in England, which had left the country upside down.
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The Son Of Charles I, King Charles II: Why He Stayed Low
Charles I’s son, Charles II, didn’t succeed his father immediately. Instead, in that brief period, Oliver Cromwell was the de facto king, the head of the Parliamentarians. Charles was in exile in French and Dutch courts with his mother and siblings in France.
After Cromwell’s death, Charles became the new king. He was formally crowned in 1661. While he was in exile, he developed a deep taste for French culture, food, music, and clothing. He brought the wave of French influence with him to England. Under his rule, new fashion was introduced; in fact, the King himself was the trendsetter. He lifted the censorship bans, opened up the theatres, and promoted science and knowledge. He is known for having preferences for fine drinks and food and had multiple mistresses during his reign. Charles II had many children with women he wasn’t married to, five being with Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine.
However, his reign too was marked by religious turmoil and conflicts, mainly xenophobia and anti-Catholicism. His reign also witnessed national disasters, including the Great Plague from 1665 to 1666 and the Great Fire of 1666. King Charles II wasn’t able to handle any of these conflicts and disasters. His reign was just a “Merry Monarch“. He died in 1685, at the age of 55.
Since the Charles father-son duo didn’t have much reputation being the Kings of the U.K., many were speculating that King Charles III would go with a different name.
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