As a result, he was tried and executed for high treason on January 30, 1649.
Here is a timeline of the major events leading up to his punishment:
- July 1642: Parliamentarian forces defeated the royalist army in the Battle of Edgehill, marking the start of the English Civil War.
- March 1643: Parliament signed the Solemn League and Covenant, an agreement with the Church of Scotland, securing military support against the king.
- 1644-1645: Parliamentarian forces, led by Oliver Cromwell, won a series of key battles, including the Battles of Marston Moor and Naseby, turning the tide of the war in their favor.
- May 1646: King Charles I surrendered to Scottish forces and later became a prisoner of the Parliament.
- November 1647: The army, controlled by Cromwell, forcibly seized Charles from Parliament and brought him to Hampton Court.
- January 1649: Charles was tried and condemned to death by a high court of justice on charges of high treason and other crimes.
- January 30, 1649: King Charles I was beheaded publicly at Whitehall Palace in front of a large crowd.
The execution of King Charles I was a momentous event that marked the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the English Commonwealth, which was ruled by Parliament under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell.