Saturday, 11 August 2012

Charles II Close Shave at Edgehill




During the first battle of the English Civil war, at Edgehill, the parliamentarians came very close to capturing and taking prisoner, the Prince of Wales, the future Charles II. Prince James who was with his older brother gives this account of the heir to the throne’s close shave with destiny:

“Sir Will Howard went of with the prince and myself and we had not gone above musket-shot off from the place when we saw a body of horse advancing directly towards us from the left hand of the King’s foot; upon which sending to see what they were, and finding them to be the enemy, we drew behind a little barn not far distant from them, which was encompassed by a hedge.

In this barn several of the King’s wounded men were there dressing, but the enemy observing the King’ men, to be within the enclosure, drew back immediately without engaging them, by which means the Prince and Duke escaped the evident danger of being taken; for had they charged our small party they could not have failed of beating them.”

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