Roehampton Professor examines witnesses to King Charles I trial in new BBC documentary
- Monday, December 16, 2019
Professor Edward Vallance features on BBC4’s new series, ‘Charles I: Killing a King’ detailing the events of the king’s trial and execution in 1649, which starts on Tuesday 17th December.
The three part series charts Charles I's final days as he was put on trial by Parliament in January 1649. The witnesses who provided testimonies at the trial of King Charles I have largely been ignored by historians, but Professor Vallance’s research demonstrates how critical their voices were in substantiating the charges against the king, shedding light on the ideas of justice that were used within the trial.
The king was charged with being a traitor, tyrant and murderer. The original trial journals record the names, occupation and age of the witnesses and Professor Vallance’s research shows that many of these witnesses were serving soldiers and officers in the Parliamentarian army. Several can be shown to have links with the trial 'commissioners' who acted as both judge and jury in the king's trial.
Charles I: Killing a King is on BBC4, starting Tuesday 17th December 2019 at 9pm.