Charles I: character, court and favourites Flashcards
How was Charles different from his father?
- Charles was shy and hampered by a speech defect unlike his outgoing father
- due to his insecurity, he had none of Jamesā political shrewdness or flexibility
- the dignity of his deportment contrasted with his fatherās uncontrolled excitability
- he was unwilling to compromise
Describe Charlesā childhood and background?
- had rickets and spent a childhood ill and in pain
- lost his parents to England when he was 2
- disparity between Henry and Charles led to rivalry and meant he got bullied by Henry as someone smaller, weaker and less capable
What were the strengths of Charlesā personality?
- a blameless moral character
- had the smoothest and most peaceful accession to the throne since Henry V in 1403
- man in his twenties so averted the dangers that contemporaries saw as the result of rule by a minor or a woman
- set about cleaning the court of promiscuity and corruption
What were the weaknesses of Charlesā character?
- inferiority complex
- provocative in defending his royal prerogative
- odd and fatal mixture of indecision and stubbornness
- need for tranquillity became a cause of coming war
- unapproachable and uncommunicative with Parliament
- his intentions and actions often went unexplained
Who supported Charles?
Charles built up a retinue of trusted retainers who could help him feel safe, conceal his deformities and support him
What was Charlesā view on the Divine Right of Kings?
He was a firm believer in the divine right of kings and defensive of his prerogative
How did Charles deal with debates over his prerogative?
Charles was provocative in dealing with the balance between the royal prerogative and parliamentary privilege
What approach did Charles take in defending his prerogative?
He did so provocatively and was unwilling to negotiate. The nature of his court hampered dialogue with the Political Nation, leading to the undermining of his authority
What opportunities did Charles have as king?
- became heir to the throne despite being the third born son
- upon ascension to the crown in 1626, Charles had inherited some encouraging signs of the Crown and Parliament working together to solve problems
-> there was cooperation between the Commons and the Privy Council to oversee trade to combat the growing economic tension
What threat did Charles face after Jamesā death?
After Jamesā death in March 1625, the country plunged into political chaos
What financial threats did Charles inherit?
- Finance had been a constant and major source of tension and Parliament had shown unease regarding ideas on the Divine Right of Kings
- declining ordinary income and reliance on Parliament for finance remained issues
How was there encouraging signs of the Crown and Parliament working together to resolve problems?
- there was cooperation between the Commons and the Privy Council to oversee trade to combat the growing economic depression
- James held onto control of foreign policy
- 1624 Statute of Monopolies
What was the 1624 Statute of Monopolies?
conceded which forbade royal grants of monopolies to individuals, but left the Crown free to make monopoly grants to corporations
- first instance of a degree of concession and compromise between Parliament and monarch
What did the āHappy Parliamentā suggest?
continued cooperation could be expected between Crown and Parliament, but after Jamesā death in March 1625 the country was plunged into political chaos
How was Charlesā character a threat to himself?
Charlesā character and personality exacerbated existing tensions between Crown and Parliament
- Charlesā ineptitude and widespread hostility to Buckingham
- people marked his wife Henrietta Maria as different and potentially dangerous due to being Catholic
