King Charles II Read Free Page B

of Wales, a title which recalled the martial days of the Black Prince. The characteristic plumes, which had been assumed by the Black Prince after Crécy, were now to be the emblem of a troop of lifeguards made up of northern noblemen and gentlemen, under the nominal command of a twelve-year-old boy.
    In July at York with his father, Charles was described as putting on a brave show, at the head of a fine company. On the field itself he was presented with a rich tent and a ‘very goodly white horse, trapped most richly to the ground with velvet all studded with burning waves of gold’. Charles then put on a ‘very curious gilt armour’, and dashingly leapt onto the back of his new steed, to the general cheers of the onlookers. Later he was painted by William Dobson in those same trappings. fn3
    The whole scene recalled the days of ritual chivalry. To many present the hopeful young Charles must have appeared as Hotspur once, ‘his cuisses on his thighs, gallantly armed’, vaulting with ease into his seat like feathered Mercury:
    As if an angel dropp’d down from the clouds
    To turn and wing a fiery Pegasus …
    At Edgehill in the following October, the reality of Charles’ first battle was different. For one thing, his own position was a good deal less prominent than that of the noble Hotspur. At this, the opening contest of the Civil War, Charles found himself treated once more as a child in tutelage. That was bad enough, with Charles’ own regiment allowed the privilege of charging in the front line. But the efforts to protect his royal person, aggravating as they were, were also inadequate. With his brother, Charles had at least one and probably two narrow escapes in the course of the day, which rendered the Battle of Edgehill yet another scarring experience.
    On the morning of the battle the two boys were left in the charge of Dr William Harvey, the famous physician, and told in effect to keep out of mischief. Gradually the traditional ennui of war became too much for Dr Harvey, who surreptitiously took a book out of his pocket. He was only restored to a sense of his surroundings by the impact of a cannon ball actually grazing the ground beside him. Then and only then did Dr Harvey hastily move his royal charges away to safety.
    The evening’s well-known incident is recounted in various different versions, but although the details vary, there is general agreement that the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York came within an ace of being captured. 8 Somehow, either with Sir Edward Hyde or Sir John Hinton (later Charles’ own physician), the Princes found themselves cut off in a field, within a ‘musket-shot’ of the enemy. For a while they took refuge in a barn, which was being used as a field hospital for the Royalist wounded. Then, in the fading autumn light, a body of Parliamentary horse was seen riding down on them from the left. Fooled by the direction – because they did not understand how the various regiments had become rearranged in the course of the battle – the little royal party moved towards this body as though to saviours.
    Suddenly the Parliamentarians were recognized for what they were. Hinton begged the Prince of Wales to retreat, at firsthumbly, at last ‘somewhat rudely’. But ‘I fear them not!’ shouted Charles, whipping his pistol out of his holster and flourishing it hopefully in the faces of the enemy. He was resolved to charge. Suddenly one Parliamentary trooper broke ranks and rode towards them. Fortunately at this dramatic moment the Prince was rescued from the consequences of his own optimism, and of his aides’ folly, by the appearance of a Royalist on a good mount; he proceeded to pole-axe the trooper.
    James remembered the experience all his life (it features in his memoirs). Charles remembered it no less. Sir John Hinton, writing up his own account of it years later, presented it to King Charles II for his approval. 9
    For all this drama, and the palpable excitement of a