On 30 January 1649, King Charles I of England took to the scaffold outside the Banqueting House in London's Whitehall. He had requested two shirts to prevent himself from shivering from the cold, a reflex he thought could be mistaken for fear. He knelt in front of the crowd and placed his head on a block. Moments later, the axe fell. Now, over 300 years later, this is the pale blue vest worn by Charles during his execution. It was in 2023 on display at the Museum of London "Executions" exhibitio

#OnThisDay, 30 January in 1649, King Charles I was executed for treason – marking the first state execution of a monarch in England’s history. Now as we know (a little too well at the moment...) January tends to be bitterly cold, and it is for this reason that we believe a special silk vest was commissioned to help prevent the King from shivering and appearing afraid in his last moments as he famously declared "I fear not death." Curator Meriel Jeater shares the story of the journey that led to

Forget the myth of ‘Oliver Cromwell vs Charles I’. As Dr Jonathan Healey explains, the Civil Wars weren’t just about these two men, they were actually about a cast of extraordinary people. HistoryExtra's new podcast series, Uprising: The Civil Wars, produced by HistFest, sees historian Rebecca Rideal chart this extraordinary story in the company of historical experts, from the first battles in Scotland to all out-war in England and Wales. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 📸 by Getty Im