An historical event which recreated the trial and execution of Charles I in 1649 has been hailed a success.
More than 400 people turned out to watch the court room drama, which was organised by the Cromwell Museum, in Huntingdon and held at the town’s old court house.
Members of The Seal Knot and museum staff used original trial records from the parliamentary archives to produce a dramatised recreation of the trial. Key figures, including Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, were portrayed by amateur actors for the 370th anniversary of the trial and execution, which was the first time in European history that a monarch had been deposed by his own subjects in such a way.
Stuart Orme, curator of the Cromwell Museum said: “We’ve been astonished and delighted by the reaction we’ve had to this event, both in terms of the packed audiences and the feedback we’ve had from those who came. What was particularly enjoyable was how the audiences got caught up in the trial – cheering or jeering some of the characters in much the same way as happened in the real court in 1649.”
The Cromwell Museum is hosting a new display, called Cruel Necessity? – The Trial and Execution of Charles I, which looks at the trial and execution of the king in January 1649, including the chance to see rarely displayed items from the museum’s collections and a newly acquired portrait of Charles which is now being shown for the first time. The display examines the reasons for the trial and Cromwell’s involvement in it, and is on display until April 7. www.cromwellmuseum.org.
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