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Annual March In Commemoration Of Charles I, Martyred 30th January 1649

A review of this year’s event

Every year (apart from when Covid restrictions did not permit) on the last Sunday in January, the King’s Army, the Royalist half of the English Civil War Society, has mustered on the Mall, marched in a solemn funeral procession to Horse Guards Parade. There a short service in memory of Charles I is held and a wreath is laid outside the Banqueting House where he was put to death. The Army then marches back up the Mall with drums beating and colours flying. 

Before the main parade takes place, the Council of Warre, the governing body of the Army, places a wreath on the equestrian statue of Charles I in Trafalgar Square. 

It is an immense privilege to be allowed to perform this ceremony and we are very grateful to the Royal Parks Department and to the Metropolitan Police for allowing us to hold this event. 

Whether you consider the death of Charles I to be that of a martyr receiving his crown incorruptible, a ‘cruel necessity’, or the deserved end of a ‘man of blood’ (and in a society covering both sides of the Civil War you can imagine that you could find members who hold all of these opinions) the death of the King was one of the most significant events in our nation’s history. 

Here are some pictures from this year’s event all provided by Mark Paterson, along with links to a couple of YouTube videos. Please note that the videos were not produced by the ECWS, but have been generally made available via YouTube.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoBxbZZPng4&t=1484s

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