Charles Personal Ruke Flashcards
When was Long parliament
1640
When did Scots reject the new prayer book
1637
When did Charles decide on personal rule
1629
When did Henrietta Maria gain influence
After Buckingham’s death in 1628m
Why was Henrietta Maria unpopular with sections of the court
They resented her nationality and in particular her Catholicism
What did Henrietta Maria do, that caused huge controversy and wide spread Puritan anger
Inc when
In July 1626, she stopped to pray for Catholics who had died at the Tyburn tree
How did Henrietta Maria gain influence
W the help of the Marquis de Cateauney, the French Ambassador
What was the royal court
Who was in Charles court
extended household and all those who regularly attend to the ruler
Charles court inc his wife, privy council, important members of the nobility, courtiers, chaplains and priests, his household servants, bodyguard and emissaries from other kingdoms or visions to the court
Explain the Caroline Court
Charles’ character influenced his court which became more formal, orderly, moral and hierarchal
Buckingham dominated the court- controlling patronage
Charles attempted to reduce the size of his court-
ordering members of the gentry to spend less time at court and more time at home managing their estate
Eg in 1632, Charles fined William Palmer £1000 for remaining in London w out his permission
What were the problems facing Charles in 1629 (7)
Loss of Buckingham
Breakdown of relations w parliament
Dealing w key opposition figures
War w Spain and France
Lack of money
Divisions over the Church
Scotland and Ireland
What did people who negatively criticised Charles personal rule, call his rum
11 years of tyranny
Charles- establishing a royal image of authority —
Anthony Van Dyke was a Flemish Artist who became the leading court painter in England
He had established his reputation in the Netherlands and Italy as a court painter
He came to England 1632- at Charles invitation, and in the years which followed, completely transformed Charles’ image
How did Van Dyck project Charles’ authority
He made up for his lack of stature and immature appearance by various artistic devices
- painting him on horseback
- ageing him about 5 years
- giving his face a distant melancholy expression which was a sign on wisdom
- also incorporated a whole series of references which reflected Charles own views on Kingship
How did Charles seek to present his image
To create a better image for himself and his wife.
He was 5 foot 4 inched
and his wife was considerably shorter (makes them look shorter) - to make the Stuart rule look strong- glorify the Stuart dynasty
What limits are there to how successful Charles was in constructing his image
The court failed to associate he paintings with public relations
Propaganda didn’t always reflect his actions
Most of the paintings remained in the royal palace or in great aristocratic houses- propaganda was ineffective
Charles cultivated artistic and diplomatic links with the Catholic courts of the greater continental monarchies
His love of catholic European civilisation clashed w the prevailing political culture of English Protestanism
What are the uses and limits of portraits as evidence to historians
Use- learn how Charles wishes to be seen
Limit- didn’t acc show how Charles ruled or people’s opinions of the paintings
Or if the paintings worked
How did Charles change the culture of the court
Give figs
Favoured fine art and spend lavishly on improving the royal art collection
By his death, this numbered over 1700 paintings and sculptures
Eg 1628- purchased an entire collection of the Dukes of Mantua for £18,000
Charles love of Catholic European civilisation clashed w Puritan values
What it was Banqueting house
Originally built for occasions of state, plays and masques
Charles Aimed to eventually completely rebuild Whitehall Palace around Banqueting house but it was never completed
Place of his execution
What was installed in the Banqueting house in 1626 and why did it cause controversy
Charles commissioned a new ceiling for Banqueting house in 1635, painter by Pete Raul Rubens
The canvas was installed in 1626
The 3 main canvas’ depict The Union of the Crowns, The Apotheosis of James I and the peaceful reign of James
In the canvas he is being carried on the wings of a huge eagle to the seat of god
When was the new ceiling in the Banqueting house installed
1626
Why were Puritans not happy w the ceiling in Banqueting house
Puritans suspected Charles of Catholicism- due to paintings and ceiling and his wife being Catholic
What was the masque
A form of festive courtly entertainment in the 17th century
Inc music and dancing, singing and acting, within and elaborate stage design,
in which architectural framing and costumes were designed by renowned architect
Professional actors and musicians were hired for the speaking and singing parts
Other masquerade who didn’t speak or sing were courtiers
Anne of Denmark danced w ladies in masque 1606-1611(James wife) as did Henrietta Maria in 1630s
Charles appeared himself in the masques as a way of projecting his views of the monarchy
Why were puritans against the masque
Against Puritan beliefs
Example of Puritan opp in the masque
!
Prynne published ‘Histormastix’- attacked court for plays- and called actresses ‘whores’
Queen was taking part in it
Star Chamber fined him £5000, deprived of Oxford degree, expelled from Lincoln’s inn, pilloried, Top of ears cut off AND life imprisonment
1629 ish????
What was court like under James I
Disorganised, unwholesome, marked by sexual scandal, favouritism and even murder
How was Charles court diff to James
Formal regime- model of moral restraint, establishing an idea of royal virtue at the heart of the kingdom
How did the 1640 ecclesiastical canons promote Charles vision of Kingship
They inc an explicitly endorsement of the doctrine of the Divine right of king’s which every parish priest was to read 4X a year at morning prayers
How did Charles order for the chapel reflect his vision of Kingship
Show and be distant w your rank and don’t break them by talking to each other
Superiority
How did Charles progression of rooms reflect his vision of Kingship
The further from the entrance gate you are, the more superior- fewer people allowed in each room
How might have Charles have alienated country opinion
The court came to be seen as Catholic, exclusive , corrupt and unEnglish
What is the privy council
- The kings advisors
- Administration of central and local gov
- Acted as a court when the kings direct judgement was needed
They were the kings closest advisors who met to shape the Kings wishes into policy and ensure they were carried out
They met in private and ran committees dealing w key issues such as trade and foreign policy
Most important was the ‘cabinet council’ of the kings inner circle- as opposed to the full ‘common council’
The privy council because increasingly important in Charles absence
Although chiefly, and advisory body, the privy council could function as a prerogative court
Key members of the privy council (6)
William Laud- Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633
William Juxton- Bishop of London from 1633, Armenian and Lord Treasurer from 1636
Sir Thomas, Lord Coventry- keeper of the Great Seal
Henry Montague, Earl of Manchester- Lord keeper of the privy seal
Sir Francis Windeback (1582-1646) Secretary of State from 1632
Theophilus Howard, Earl of Arundel- appointed as special diplomatic envoy
After the dissolution of parliament some of Charles former enemies because members of the privy council
Who were they
William Noy (death 1634)
Sir Dudley Digges (death 1639)
Richard Weston (death 1635)
Sir Francis Cottington (death 1652)
Why was William Noy (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Led an attack on monopolies in 1621
In 1632, he became attorney general and specialised in resurrecting and reintroducing King forgotten faces
Why was Sir Dudley Digges (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Led the commons in criticising Buckingham
He sat on the Court of High Commission and became Master of the Rolls (1636)
Why was Richard Weston (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
1st Earl of Portland (1635)
Opposed Wars w Spain and France
In 1628- he became Lord High Treasurer
He persuades Charles to make peace w Spain
Why was Sir Francis Cottington (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Enemy of Buckingham
1628 became privy councillor
Became chancellor of Exchequer in 1629
What 2 things were working the prerogative Courts
The court of star chamber
The court of high commission
What was the court of star chamber
PART OF PREROGATIVE COURT
Consisted of members of the Privy council handpicked by the king
The crown could remove cases such as conspiracy or riot from the common-law courts and have them heard in secret before the court of the star chamber
Unlike in the commons law court, defendants could be ? In private
Star chamber could not sentence a man to death, but could inflict fines, imprisonment and corporal punishment
What was the court of Hugh commission
Part of PREROGATIVE COURT
The highest ecclesiastical court in the land, which could be used for enforcing religious uniformity
Cases where people are caught guilty- passed to star chamber for sentencing
What were Regional councils and name the 2 sections of it
These imposed the Kings authority on the far reaches of England
Council of North
Council of Welsh Marches
Regional councils- council of north
Based in York
Thomas Wentworth was President of the Council of the North from 1628
He argued that the authority of the king was ‘the keystone which closeth up the arch of government’
Used to reinforce Royal authority of powerful northern families
Regional councils- council of the Welsh Marshes
Based in Ludlow
Less important then Northern Council
