King Charles I; Sir Edward Walker

1 portrait

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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King Charles I; Sir Edward Walker

by Unknown artist
oil on canvas, circa 1650
59 1/2 in. x 81 in. (1511 mm x 2261 mm)
Purchased, 1922
Primary Collection
NPG 1961

Sittersback to top

  • King Charles I (1600-1649), Reigned 1625-49. Sitter associated with 335 portraits.
  • Sir Edward Walker (1612-1677), Secretary to Charles I. Sitter in 5 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Unknown artist, Artist. Artist or producer associated with 6578 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Charles I was a brave soldier and by the standards of the Civil War, a competent general. Walker, 'a very importunate, ambitious and foolish man, that studies nothing but his own ends', wearing his badge as Garter King-of-Arms, is shown as the King's Secretary-at-War, a post he also held under Charles II in exile. The scene is probably intended to represent one of the West Country campaigns of 1644-5, with what is perhaps a skirmish in front of Winchester in the background.

Linked publicationsback to top

Events of 1650back to top

Current affairs

Exiled Charles, Prince of Wales, holds negotiations in the Netherlands, with the Scottish Parliament to secure an alliance. Despite misgivings on both sides, and pressure from the Scots for Charles to sign the covenants, the treaty of Breda is agreed.
Oliver Cromwell defeats the Scots at the Battle of Dunbar.

Art and science

Poet and politician, Andrew Marvell, composes his greatest political poem, Horatian Ode upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland. Marvell become Oliver Cromwell's unofficial poet laureate during the Protectorate.

International

William, The Prince of Orange, grandson of Charles I, is born assuming the title from the moment of birth. Forty years later, he would become William III of England.
General-at-Sea, Robert Blake is dispatched to Portugal to prevent attacks on Commonwealth merchant shipping from royalist, Prince Rupert, based in Lisbon.

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