The Eikon Basilike (Greek: Eικων Bασιλικη, the "Royal Portrait"), The Pourtrature of His Sacred Majestie in His Solitudes and Sufferings, was a purported spiritual autobiography attributed to King Charles I of England. It was published on February 9, 1649, ten days after the King was beheaded by Parliament in the aftermath of the English Civil War in 1649. Cover of An autobiography, from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write, is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Ireland, and King of Scots from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... // Events January 30 - King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is beheaded. ... Beheading. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians (known as Roundheads) and Royalists (known as Cavaliers) from 1642 until 1651. ... // Events January 30 - King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is beheaded. ...

The famous triple portrait of Charles I by Van Dyck. Bernini, seeing this picture, called it "the portrait of a doomed man."

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1256x1069, 100 KB) Description: Title: de: Porträt Karl des I., König von England Technique: de: Öl auf Leinwand Dimensions: de: 85 × 100 cm Country of origin: de: Niederlande (Flandern) Current location (city): de: London Current location (gallery): de: Royal... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1256x1069, 100 KB) Description: Title: de: Porträt Karl des I., König von England Technique: de: Öl auf Leinwand Dimensions: de: 85 × 100 cm Country of origin: de: Niederlande (Flandern) Current location (city): de: London Current location (gallery): de: Royal... Self Portrait With a Sunflower Sir Anthony (Anton) van Dyck (22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish artist who became the leading court painter in England. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Contents and authorship

Written in a simple, moving, and straightforward style in the form of a diary, the book combines irenic prayers urging the forgiveness of Charles's executioners with a justification of royalism and the King's political and military program that led to the Civil War. == c programming[[a--203. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy. ...

It is by no means certain that Charles wrote the book. After the Restoration, John Gauden, bishop of Worcester, claimed to have written it. Scholars continue to disagree about the merits of this claim, though assuming that Gauden wrote it, he had access to Charles's papers when he wrote it. Jeremy Taylor is also said to have had a hand in its revision, and to be the source of its title; an earlier draft bore the name Suspiria Regalia, the "Royal Sighs." King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... John Gauden, (1605 - May 23, 1662), was an English bishop and writer, and the reputed author of the Eikon Basilike. ... Two bishops assist at the Exhumation of Saint Hubert, who was a bishop too, at the église Saint-Pierre in Liège. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Jeremy Taylor is depicted in this portrait at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University. ...

Whoever wrote it, its author was an effective prose stylist, one that had partaken deeply of the solemn yet simple eloquence of Anglican piety as expressed in Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer. The end result is an image of a steadfast monarch who, while admitting his weaknesses, declares the truth of his religious principles and the purity of his political motives, while trusting in God despite adversity. Charles's chief weakness, it says, was in yielding to Parliament's demands for the head of the Earl of Strafford; for this sin, Charles paid with his throne and his life. Its portrait of Charles as a martyr invited comparison of the King to Jesus. An oil painting of Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke (1545) - National Portrait Gallery, London Thomas Cranmer (July 2, 1489 – March 21, 1556) was the Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of the English kings Henry VIII and Edward VI. He is credited with writing and compiling the first two Books... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford in an Armour, 1639, by Sir Anthony van Dyck. ... Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral code of conduct or the state of having committed such a violation. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ...

The pathos of this dramatic presentation made it a master stroke of Royalist propaganda. The book was quite popular despite official disapproval during the Protectorate and the Restoration; it went into 36 editions in 1649 alone. Because of the favourable impression the book made of the King, Parliament commissioned John Milton to write a riposte to it, which he published under the title Eikonoklastes ("The Iconoclast") in 1649. Milton's response sought to portray the image of Charles, and the absolute monarchy he aspired to, as idols, claiming a reverence due only to God, and therefore justly overthrown to preserve the law of God. This theological counterattack failed to dislodge the sentimental narrative of the Eikon itself from public esteem. Look up Pathos in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. ... The Protectorate in English history refers specifically to the English government of 1653 to 1659 under the direct control of Oliver Cromwell, who assumed the title of Lord Protector of the newly declared Commonwealth of England (later the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland) after the English Civil War. ... King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Milton redirects here. ... Illustration of the Beeldenstorm during the Dutch reformation Iconoclasm is the destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. ... // Events January 30 - King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is beheaded. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ...

Its famous frontispiece

The heavily allegorical frontispiece of the Eikon Basilike depicts the King as a Christian martyr. The Latin texts read: Image File history File links Eikon. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than (and in addition to) the literal. ... In architecture, a frontispiece constitutes the elements that frame and decorate the main, or front, door to a building; especially when the main entrance is the chief face of the building, rather than being kept behind columns or a portico. ... This article is becoming very long. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ...

• IMMOTA, TRIVMPHANS — "Unmoved, Triumphant" (scroll around the rock);
• Clarior é tenebris — "Brighter through the darkness" (beam from the clouds);
• CRESCIT SUB PONDERE VIRTVS — "Virtue grows beneath weights" (scroll around the tree);
• Beatam & Æternam — "Blessed and Eternal" (around the heavenly crown marked GLORIA ("Glory")); meant to be contrasted with:
  • Splendidam & Gravem — "Splendid and Heavy" (around the Crown of England, removed from the King's head and lying on the ground), with the motto Vanitas ("vanity"); and
  • Asperam & Levem — "Bitter and Light", the martyr's crown of thorns held by Charles; contains the motto Gratia ("grace");
• Coeli Specto — "I look to Heaven";
• IN VERBO TVO SPES MEA — "In Thy Word is My Hope";
• Christi Tracto — "I entreat Christ" or "By the word of Christ";
• Mundi Calco — "I tread on the world".

The frontispiece was engraved by William Marshall. In the first edition, the frontispiece was accompanied by Latin and English verses that explain it. The English verses go: The Crown is a term which is used to separate the government authority and property of the state in a kingdom from any personal influence and private assets held by the current Monarch. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... The Narcissus myth, as portrayed by Waterhouse, is a reflection on the nature of intimacy and vanity. ... Jesus Carrying the Cross as portrayed by El Greco - Domenikos Theotokopoulos, 1580 In Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was the woven chaplet of thorn branches worn by Jesus before his crucifixion. ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, as manifest in the blessings bestowed upon all —irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. ...

Tho' clogg'd with weighs of miseries

Palm-like Depress'd, I higher rise

And as th'unmoved Rock outbraues

The boist'rous Windes and raging waues

So triumph I. And shine more bright

In sad Affliction's darksom night.

That Splendid, but yet toilsom Crown

Regardlessly I trample down.

With joie I take this Crown of thorn

Though sharp, yet easie to be born.

That heavn'nlie Crown, already mine

I view with eies of Faith diuine.

I slight vain things, and do embrace

Glorie, the just reward of Grace.

King Charles venerated by the Church of England

The Eikon Basilike and its portrait of Charles's execution as a martyrdom were so successful that, at the Restoration, a special commemoration of the King on January 30 was added to the Book of Common Prayer, directing that the day be observed as an occasion for fasting and repentance. On May 19, 1660, the Convocation of Canterbury and York canonised King Charles at the urging of Charles II, and added his name to the prayer book. Charles I is the only saint formally canonised by the Church of England. January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1979 ECUSABCP The Book of Common Prayer[1] is foundational prayer book of the Church of England and also the name for similar books used in other churches in the Anglican Communion. ... Fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food and in some cases drink, for a period of time. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose. ... Statistics Population: 42,258 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TR145575 Administration District: City of Canterbury Shire county: Kent Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Kent Historic county: Kent Services Police force: Kent Police Ambulance service: South East Coast Post office and... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Canonization is the process of declaring someone a saint and involves proving that a candidate has lived in such a way that he or she qualifies for this. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are usually depicted as having halos. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ...

The commemoration was removed from the prayer book by Queen Victoria in 1859. Several Anglican churches and chapels are dedicated to "King Charles the Martyr." The Society of King Charles the Martyr was established in 1894 to work for the restoration of the King's name to the Kalendar and to encourage the veneration of the Royal Martyr. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... The term Anglican (from medieval Latin ecclesia Anglicana meaning the English church) is used to describe the people, institutions, and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the established Church of England, the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican Churches (a loosely affiliated group of... St. ... A chapel is a private church, usually small and often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ... The Society of King Charles the Martyr is a catholic society of the Church of England and other churches in communion with it. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Quotation

I would rather choose to wear a crown of thorns with my Saviour, than to exchange that of gold, which is due to me, for one of lead, whose embased flexibleness shall be forced to bend and comply to the various and oft contrary dictates of any factions, when instead of reason and public concernments they obtrude nothing but what makes for the interest of parties, and flows from the partialities of private wills and passions. I know no resolutions more worthy a Christian king, than to prefer his conscience before his kingdoms.

External links

• The Eikon Basilike
• The Society of King Charles the Martyr, dedicated to the commemoration of Charles I as a martyr for the Church of England.
• Selections and summary of Milton's Eikonoklastes.
• Eikon Basilike at Literary Encyclopedia