Image of King
Charles I's obsession with kingship played an important role in his political career, motivating him to take liberties in spending and policy that he believed were granted to him by the title of king. The period of the Personal Rule contributed to Charles' already lofty image of himself: little to no opposition existed among his councilmen who feared a loss of favor with the King; Archbishop Laud supported the return of adornments to the Church despite the public's fear of 'popery'; Parliament had been dismissed; no citizen could speak directly against the king, fearing treason, punishable by death. Motivated by his image of kingship, Charles spent money on aesthetic improvements to enhance his image, dismissed Parliament, supported Laud's changes to the Church, and used highly unfavorable methods to raise money for the Crown. Charles's activities and policies angered his Parliament and his people, creating tension between king and kingdom, supporters and opponents, a tension that would grow into serious conflict, and eventually civil war. Charles did everything to reinforce his image of kingship, commissioning Van Dyck to paint commanding kingly portraits of him and dressing in pure white at his coron
Charles's vision of the Church reflected his vision of the monarchy stressing the ideas of order, ceremony, and reverence to the king, leading him to reforms that upset many Protestants throughout the kingdom. As king, he believed he was central to the divine order within his church and kingdom and that he always knew what was best for each. "His belief in the sacral nature of kingship led him to insist repeatedly on the non-negotiability of the entire domain of the sacred"(Hirst, 156). Laud's appointment and subsequent reforms of the Church further reinforced an obsession with ritual and symbols of reverence to the divine order of things. Laud brought back to the Church objects such as stained glass, iconography, an altar, and kneeling and bowing before God. He sought to create an appearance of reverence that would inspire those in the community to holiness directly paralleling Charles's idea that creating an image of kingship would further inspire his people to loyalty and obedience. Charles took no notice of the fact that officials, gentry, and common people alike interpreted these adornments and ceremonies as idolatry and 'popish' plots to bring Catholicism back to England. "Charles was less concerned with private opinion than he was with church uniformity"(Hirst, 157). Charles also appointed Catholic councilors to his Council for his queen Henrietta Maria, furthering the people's fear of 'popish' plots, as this 'popery' now infected both Church and Court. Knowing no limitations to his desires, Charles acted carelessly with the Crown's fortunes, allowing himself to indulge in aesthetic improvements and acquisitions of art. In the early years of his reign, he bought Italian art, commissioned Van Dyck paintings, and planned architectural projects at Whitehall. At the time the wars with Spain and France were also quickly depleting his money supply. Charles, suddenly desperate, began to raise money, devising methods of direct taxation of his citizens, in complete disregard of Parliament or popular opinion: ation t
Some common words found in the essay are:
Parliament Charles's, Spain France, Van Dyck, Deputy Ireland, Archbishop Laud, Privy Council, Consequently Charles, Laud Charles, Crown Charles's, Henry King, civil war, kingdom king, image king, personal rule, image kingship, parliament people, rule kingdom, raise money, direct taxation, ship money,
Approximate Word count = 1375
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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