First published 2017
Leanda de Lisle examines Charles I through newly discovered royal correspondence, including coded letters between the king and his French Catholic queen. She argues that Charles was too principled for his brutal era, lacking the political cunning of his father James I or the ruthless survival instincts of Tudor monarchs. The author traces how Charles's high-minded approach to kingship collided with a fragmenting nation where armies from Scotland, Ireland, and Europe fought on English soil. De Lisle draws on previously unseen manuscripts to reveal a monarch who refused to persecute opponents or sacrifice loyal servants. His marriage to Henrietta Maria scandalized Protestant subjects, while his commitment to episcopal church structure sparked religious conflict. The book follows Charles through the English Civil War's devastating casualties to his execution, where he transformed defeat into martyrdom. De Lisle demonstrates how Charles's death ultimately strengthened rather than destroyed the monarchy, leading to restoration and the constitutional system that endures today.
Genres: history, historical-fiction, political-science, biography-memoir
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Scotland, Ireland, Europe
Period: 17th Century
464 pages · Hardcover · PublicAffairs