On 30 January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded on a scaffold at Whitehall in London.

After putting the country through a bloody civil war from 1642-1646 that his Royalist forces lost, Charles I launched another attempt in in 1647 which was quickly, but bloodily put down. The Army, under Oliver Cromwell, which wielded enormous power at the time was furious, so when they captured Charles I, they proceeded to try him. Charles I would not answer to the court as he felt it was unfit to try him. The court proceeded anyway and convicted and sentenced him to death on 27 January 1649.

On the day of his beheading, it was so cold that Charles I put on two shirts to ward off the cold, lest he be thought to be trembling at his fate. Charles I dignity in his execution made him a martyr to the Royalist cause. Some subjects in England still vociferously hold that Cromwell was the traitor, not their King.

Read here for Charles I speech on the scaffold.

Motorcycle Ride Recommendation

Start in Windsor and ride into central London to Buckingham Palace, along the Mall, into Whitehall, on to Parliament and ending up at the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

Book Recommendation: Why Was Charles I Executed? from AbeBooks.co.uk or Amazon.co.uk

Map Recommendation: London Bike Guide from AbeBooks.co.uk or Amazon.co.uk