King Charles III, who will be officially crowned on May 6, had two predecessors with questionable fates. However, he has chosen to keep his first name, as a sovereign.
After the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, Crown Prince Charles became the King of England. The father of William and Harry had the opportunity to change his name to one of his middle names, namely Philip, George or Arthur. But he preferred to remain authentic by becoming King Charles III. The one who will be officially crowned on May 6 is the third of his family to bear this name, and his two predecessors did not necessarily shine by their actions, or their personal antics.
Indeed, as reported by our colleagues of the website Elle, on September 14, Charles I acceded to the throne in 1625, after his father, James I. Until 1630, he led a war against Spain. This was followed by other religious conflicts, but also the first English revolution. This one lasted, in all, from 1642 to 1651. But the sovereign preferred to flee to the Isle of Wight to escape his opponents. He was captured in 1647, then beheaded two years later. The monarchy was then abolished. His son, Charles II, took over in 1660, after spending many years away from England to avoid being associated with his father.
A libertine king who had no legitimate children
It was not until 1658 that he returned to the capital of the United Kingdom, when the monarchy was restored. He then tried to reopen the theaters and allow women actresses to play female roles on the boards. But London was marked by a plague epidemic in 1665 and a huge fire the following year, which upset the British. In addition, the private life of King Charles II had no legitimate children, despite his ten children born of relationships with several mistresses. It was therefore his brother, James II, who became king after his death, caused by a stroke.
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