King Charles I - A Brief History

Charles I was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625-1649. He is the only monarch in British history to be executed for treason. The son of James I, Charles believed firmly in the divine right of kings - the idea that a monarch's authority came directly from God and should not be challenged by Parliament.

It was his clashes with Parliament, surrounding issues of divine right, religion and taxation, which led to the English Civil War (1642-1651), fought between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. In May 1646, Charles surrendered himself to the Scottish Army, who subsequently handed him to the English Parliament. It was then in 1647, that Charles was arrested and put under house arrest. He refused to accept defeat or submit to republican authority, and as a result, he was put on trial and sentenced to death.

For the next eleven years from 1649-1660, the country had Parliamentary rule, also known as the English Interregnum, and was governed by Oliver Cromwell. In 1660, there was the Restoration of the Monarchy, which saw Charles II, Charles's son, return from exile and claim the throne.

A Rare Charles I Monarchist Weathercock

One of the more fascinating pieces we have in the auction is this rare Charles I Monarchist bronze weathercock. At a quick glance, it looks like a conventional spire weathervane modelled as a cockerel. However on closer inspection, one can find the inscription, 'R. D. P. CHARLES. CVR 9 1646' on the underside, showing a message of support for Charles I in the latter days of the English Civil War. 

Formerly held in the collections at Spetchley Park in Worcestershire, this may have originally been a very public, albeit hidden sign of Monarchist support. Although this message of support would go unseen, the donor and the artist, would have known that it was there. The artist 'F. Bassand' is, as yet, untraced, although it may have been a pseudonym, in order to hide the true identity of the bronze worker in case of Parliamentarian repercussions. 

The date of September 1646, comes just 4 months after the King's arrest by the Scottish army and handing over to the Parliamentary forces. It has been suggested that R.D.P would have translated as "Rex Dei Gratia Provinciae"  or "King by the Grace of God, of the Province" - a message that signified the continued support and belief of the Royalist donor in his or her monarch.

The Sovereign of the Seas

We then have this scale model ship. It has been identified as a representation of one of the most famous ships ever built, “The Sovereign of the Seas”, which was commissioned, and named, by Charles I as a deliberate attempt to bolster the sovereignty of the English crown. While other nations, such as the Dutch, regarded the seas as open and free for trade (mare liberum), Charles I sought to revive the ancient right of British kings to be recognised as "Lords of the Sea."

The Sovereign of the Seas was launched at Woolwich Dockyard on 13 October 1637. Charles regarded this exorbitantly expensive first-rate, triple-deck ship as the jewel of his empire. It was the most extravagantly decorated warship in the Royal Navy. Even the Royal Painter, Anthony van Dyck, was said to have a hand in its design. Nothing was spared. The gilding alone cost 6,691 pounds, which was the price for an entire warship at the time. Total construction costs came to 65,586 pounds, which was likely the single greatest expenditure from the royal purse for the remainder of the 17th century. The decks sported a total of 102 covered bronze cannons, weighing a total of 155.9 tons, not including the substantial weight of the gun carriages.

The Sovereign of the Seas was a thorn in the side of the Dutch navy. In 1652, the Dutch States General even offered a reward for crews of fireships if they managed to burn her down. The grand reward for the destruction of the Sovereign of the Seas would be the enormous sum of 3,000 guilders, enough to buy a townhouse in Amsterdam at the time. Despite being in regular service during all three of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Dutch never succeeded in sinking her.

However, even after all these victories, the Sovereign of the Seas met an ignominious end, when in 1697 she was burnt to the water line as a result of having been set on fire by an accident. Apparently, a lowly bosun left a burning candle unattended. As a result, he was flogged and imprisoned for life for this mistake.

Carved figure of Charles I

The execution of Charles I was a seismic event in British history. Unsurprisingly, his image appears frequently in the arts, reflecting both his cultural significance and enduring historical notoriety.

Offered in the auction is this carved walnut figure of Charles I, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century. Works of this type were likely produced in the decades following the Restoration and may have served as expressions of royalist sympathy, or at least as signals of loyalty to the restored monarchy. In the politically volatile years following the English Civil War, associations with either side of the conflict could carry lasting consequences.

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Auction Details

Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 March 2026, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

Bidding is available in person at our salerooms, online, by telephone or you can leave commission (absentee) bids.

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VIEWING:

• Viewing at Dreweatts Newbury (full sale): Donnington Priory, RG14 2JE
  • Friday 20 March: 10am-4pm
  • Saturday 21 March: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 22 March: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 23 March: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 24 March: 9am-4pm
  • Wednesday 25 March: 9am-1pm
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