by Colin Croad
RTI: What would your majesty have done if you had won the war?
Charles: Ah yes, good sir, this is a question that has haunted me throughout my time as a prisoner. How I would so much prefer if Mr Cromwell and his friends were in my place and you were here to ease their passage to Heaven! Indeed, they would most surely find themselves on the eve of their executions, but I would be merciful and spare them the full horrors of a traitor’s death.
RTI: But how would you deal with Parliament, the Commons and the age old ways this land has been ruled?
Charles: I fear that there would have to be a change in the ways of this kingdom. To maintain Parliament in its present state of power and privilege would be to open up myself and my successors to the very same indignities and threats that I myself have undergone. It would be only a matter of time before the Commons challenged the right of kings and dragged the kingdom yet again into war!
RTI: You’re saying, then, your majesty, that Parliament and the rights of the Commons would be changed, curtailed, so that their power would be less and therefore their threat to your authority, and the authority of kings, would be negligible?
Charles: Absolutely! In the same way that they have reduced my authority and the authority of all future kings by murdering their sovereign lord, I would reduce Parliament to a minor body of power. They would have very little say in the ruling of the kingdom and no authority at all to gainsay me or any king of this land ever again. Their power would be significantly reduced and the number of MP’s cut to a mere fraction! No more would they feel the confidence they obtained in numbers! I would have a Parliament that was a shadow of its former self, a small body of men whose sole task would be to maintain the shires and obey their lord and master!
RTI: Bearing in mind how your parliament and most of the Commons reacted to your ways of ruling them before the wars, how long do you think your new system would last if you had won?
Charles: How could they have challenged me once there powerbase had been removed? Parliament would be unable to muster any forces to stand against me! The Commons would have been leaderless, unwilling and unable to question my authority as their lord and master! I can see no reason why the people of this kingdom would not settle down to obeying those lords that I decide to put over them , and I can’t see why they would not thank me for it, for restoring the natural order of things.
RTI: Yes, your majesty, I can see that you believe this would be the best thing for the kingdom and yourself, but how long do you honestly believe this system of ruling would last? Has it not occurred to you that the Commons, lowly though they may be, and having risen up against you for what they saw as a challenge to their rights, has it not occurred to you that, over time, they would eventually rise up again to try and restore their ancient rights as Englishmen? Surely, your majesty must see that the more you try to rule the people of this land with absolute dominion over them, and with little or no right of questioning that rule, then they will, in time, turn on that ruling power and try to overthrow it? Surely your majesty must see that these same Englishmen will challenge anything that they perceive to be tyranny?
Charles: So, sir, again you say I am a tyrant? Do you think God himself will see me as such, or perhaps he will hold me to account for not restoring the divine order of things, the divine right of kings? I tell you now, sir, that this kingdom would be better off if I had the full and unquestioning loyalty of its subjects, people who had faith in their God and their king. I would rule better now than I did before, be wiser now in my dealings with them than I was before. Much has transpired over these past seven years to make me a better king for my people. Alas, I will never have the chance to prove it to them.
RTI: Let us return to the subject of your children, in particular your eldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales. It’s true he is out of harm’s way and your enemies cannot touch him. How do you see his future, especially with regards to the succession to the throne?
Charles: My own dear son! How I wish I could see him now! How I wish I could be there for him to advise and instruct! Life can be both glorious and cruel, sir! God will give and then He will take away. I hope that Charles will one day be able to inherit that which is rightfully his; the throne of this kingdom. I pray to God on high that my son will be safe from his enemies until he becomes king. I believe with all my heart, sir, that he will become king! One day God will restore the fortunes of my family and with it the throne of England! Whilst my faith is now under a test the likes of which I have never experienced before, I believe God will one day forgive me my sins and establish my son as king! So help me God, I believe it!
RTI: Are there any words of wisdom you would impart to him if he were here right now, anything you might say to him to help him with the burden before him, your majesty?
Charles: Indeed, sir, there are many things I would like to say to the prince, things I’d like to warn him of regarding the ways of those who profess loyalty and fidelity yet who would secretly scheme against him when he is king. I would tell him to be on his guard against duplicity, to watch for treachery, to surround himself with honest men and to reward those who deserve it. I would advise him to look to God for guidance, to resist the temptation to indulge in the pleasures of this world and to be charitable. All this I now say in vain, as my son is not here, and I will never see him again in this life.
RTI: Is there anything else you would like to say to me, your majesty, anything that you feel you need to speak of before the dawn? What about your followers and supporters? How would you address them if they could come before you?
Charles: I have said enough already, sir. The time for my departure from this world creeps ever nearer, and I so long to be in the next one. You have worn me out, sir, with your questions and your opinions, and I am tired of it. Give me peace and allow me to find comforts in my solitude before the dawn arrives will you?
RTI: I will do as your majesty commands.
Charles: I suspect that you may be an agent of Cromwell, sent to torment me and extract confessions where none were given before, but if, by some chance, your conscience has been pricked by how you find your king, and if you have taken pity on a father who misses his children, perhaps you would be so generous and kind as to get word to my family that their father loves them dearly, wishes them all good health and that he goes to his end tomorrow with the sure knowledge that God awaits me and that He will welcome me into the kingdom of heaven.
RTI: Your majesty should feel comfort in the knowledge that your soul is now unburdened, cleansed before you approach the altar of God. You may also rest assured that I will endeavour to convey your words to your family, telling them of your acceptance of God’s will and your eagerness to stand in the kingdom of heaven. However, there is one more question I would ask your majesty if you feel up to answering it.
Charles: Sir, you vex me with all your questions! I grow tired of your presence! Can’t you leave me in peace to prepare myself for the day to come?
RTI: I will, your majesty, but I feel this question is important for you to answer. I believe that it might even help you face the dawn with even more composure and courage.
Charles: I will answer your question, but only if you promise to spare me from any more heartache, only if you give me your word that you will not conjure up more longing for my wife and children! What is it that you wish to know, sir?
RTI: This I promise your majesty.
Charles: Then you may ask your question, sir.
RTI: We have already discussed how you would deal with Parliament if you had been successful in the wars. You have told me how you would have dealt with your enemies. But, those are only the immediate consequences of victory. What vision, though, would you have for the kingdom as a whole? Where would you, as the king and undisputed ruler of the people, take the kingdom? How would this realm progress after all those years of war?
Charles: It is a good question, and one which I have thought about often. Once I had dealt with the enemies of
the realm, I would set about restoring the old order of things, as I’ve stated to you already. Yet the question of how the kingdom would progress, how it would develop, is a difficult one to answer. Doubtlessly, Parliament has its own designs for the kingdom, but I fear they do not have the interests of the people in mind. I fear that they will lead my people into a wilderness, bereft of any promise for the future, and filled with all manner of heartache. I, on the other hand, would endeavour to lead this nation forward as one, with their king at the forefront, as a prosperous and free land. I would deal with the peoples of Europe as equals in trade and war. My kingdom would become respected throughout the world as one which can do business yet which cannot be played false. A kingdom that fears God and who worships Him with a devotion that would make England the most prominent Christian nation in the world. My people would learn to obey their Prince, to hold their heads high as Englishmen and never to shirk their responsibilities to me or their appointed lords and masters. Together, we would build a nation that would be the envy of all foreign peoples. We are an island nation, used to sailing the seas both for trade and war, and I would make a navy to rule these seas and to take trade far and wide. Yes, if I had only been supported by true and loyal subjects, and not by men of weak wills and even weaker stomachs for war, men who profess loyalty and courage, but whose sole concern is their own personal gain and glory! Then, my kingdom would truly be called great.
RTI: So, your majesty, what you’re saying is that with you at the head this land would become more pious, richer and a nation that could contest with the likes of France?
Charles: Yes, sir, that is exactly what I am saying! If I’d not been betrayed, if Parliament had not contested my right as sovereign lord of this land, with the God given right to make laws and to rule as His anointed king, then I feel confident that I would have led England into a new and prosperous age, a new golden age, which would have been the envy of enemy and friend alike! Yet it is not to be. In a few short hours I shall be shorter by a head, and, in time, my enemies will doubtlessly put into action all their selfish plans, plans which I’m sure will bring this great nation of ours to the brink of ruin and abject misery! Now, sir, if you’ll forgive me, I’ve said enough and I grow ever more tired of your questions and your presence. I beg you leave me now to my own company and the thoughts I wish to keep to myself. Go, sir, or must I call the guards to remove you?
RTI: I will leave you in peace, your majesty. I am sorry if I have taxed you too much. It was not my intent. I hope you find comfort and peace in these last hours. I hope your passing is swift and God welcomes you into heaven. Would your majesty allow me to speak a few last words of counsel regarding tomorrow?
Charles: I am, sir, a man of reason. It would be foolish of me to ignore an offer that could be to my benefit. Be quick, sir, so that I may be left alone in peace!
RTI: Your majesty, the month is January and spring is still many months away. The air is cold and damp. When you go forth tomorrow to face your death, there will be many of your friends watching you, supporting you in this final test. However, there will also be an equal number of your enemies watching you as well. All will be watching to see how you behave on this fateful morning. I should advise your majesty to wear two shirts in the morning cold, and by so doing deny the image that your enemies long to see of the king trembling, which they will no doubt attribute to pure fear.
Charles: Wise words indeed, sir! I thank you for them. Your presence hasn’t been all discomfort after all, but I insist now that I am left in peace to pray to God and to gather my thoughts what is to come.
(Interview terminated shortly after midnight. RTI retrieved successfully).