PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Accountant
It is 23d April 1642 and Charles, with his numerous escort is trying to get entrance to Hull, but is denied by the governor sir John Hotham. After considerable back and forth Charles, with gritted teeth, accepts the earlier Hotham's offer of entrance with an escort of twelve men. Hotham was unable to go back on his word and admitted the king and the twelve men.
What happened next is still matter of debate. Royalist propaganda claims that Hotham tried to treacherously seize the king, while Parliamentarian propaganda claims that Charles broke his vow and tried to take over the city by inciting the uprising. Some sources claim that Charles harangued Hotham and aldermen on slights inflicted on his royal persona, with some members of his escort also arguing with the members of militia, with situation brewing over into fight when prince Rupert of Rhine and John Hotham younger came to blows. What is certain that Charles and most of his escort were killed in the ensuing fight, despite many loyal townspeople coming to his aid. With cries of king's foul murder, some of Hotham's troops and city trained bands changed their allegiance, and some of them managed to drop the drawbridge and opened the gate to the main body of the king's escort.
What followed was chaotic bloody fight as king's men besieged the defenders who were making their stands in various buildings through town and hunting down anyone with presumed parliamentarian loyalties, bloodshed and plundering going on until the bells rang on midday of 24th.
Hotham and his son escaped on a boat but most of the garrison and the aldermen faced the sword.
There was intense debate within parliament on what to do, most were quite willing to send Hotham to the executioner and were proposing that the parliament should take over the regency of the Charles II until he comes of age. For some reason they were surprised when hastily assembled regency council declared them all regicides.
How does the situation evolve from there?
Can Parliament even assemble an army, as even in 1649 the killing of the king was seem as extremely extreme act, possible only due to the fact that army was fully loyal to commanders and it was the decisive political tool in the country at the time.
What happened next is still matter of debate. Royalist propaganda claims that Hotham tried to treacherously seize the king, while Parliamentarian propaganda claims that Charles broke his vow and tried to take over the city by inciting the uprising. Some sources claim that Charles harangued Hotham and aldermen on slights inflicted on his royal persona, with some members of his escort also arguing with the members of militia, with situation brewing over into fight when prince Rupert of Rhine and John Hotham younger came to blows. What is certain that Charles and most of his escort were killed in the ensuing fight, despite many loyal townspeople coming to his aid. With cries of king's foul murder, some of Hotham's troops and city trained bands changed their allegiance, and some of them managed to drop the drawbridge and opened the gate to the main body of the king's escort.
What followed was chaotic bloody fight as king's men besieged the defenders who were making their stands in various buildings through town and hunting down anyone with presumed parliamentarian loyalties, bloodshed and plundering going on until the bells rang on midday of 24th.
Hotham and his son escaped on a boat but most of the garrison and the aldermen faced the sword.
There was intense debate within parliament on what to do, most were quite willing to send Hotham to the executioner and were proposing that the parliament should take over the regency of the Charles II until he comes of age. For some reason they were surprised when hastily assembled regency council declared them all regicides.
How does the situation evolve from there?
Can Parliament even assemble an army, as even in 1649 the killing of the king was seem as extremely extreme act, possible only due to the fact that army was fully loyal to commanders and it was the decisive political tool in the country at the time.
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