King Charles I's Life and Death Through 10 Artworks

An article explores the turbulent life of King Charles I of England (r. 1625–1649) through ten artworks, from his birth to his execution. Charles, the only British monarch tried and executed, is depicted in paintings by Anthony van Dyck, Daniel Mytens, Paul Delaroche, and others. Key works include van Dyck's triple portrait (1636), Mytens' wedding portrait with Henrietta Maria (1631), and Delaroche's scene of Cromwell opening the king's coffin (1831). The article covers his unexpected rise to heir after his brother's death in 1612, his marriage in 1625, the English Civil War (1642–1651), his imprisonment at Carisbrooke Castle (1647–1648), and his beheading on January 30, 1649, outside Whitehall. The National Portrait Gallery holds 346 portraits of Charles. The narrative ends with the Restoration of his son Charles II in 1660.