The two portraits are of Charles I (with the Duke of York), Oliver Cromwell and Charles II, all by Sir Peter Lely. The first half of the Seventeenth Century is not my favourite historical period, but Liza Picard's book has really got me thinking.
The three regimes of these individuals were in some ways very similar. They were all religious regimes, where the heads of state were either the de facto head of the church, or acted as such. Each of these regimes persecuted dissenters and so-called witches. Each of these rulers was an autocrat, who ruled by the will of God. It was a miserable time for the common man, who was taxed up to the eyeballs to pay for foreign wars. During the commonwealth people weren't even allowed to enjoy themselves in what little free time they had. And Charles II was always after parliament with his begging bowl to raise money for such things as the navy, having already spent his considerable income on his tarts. So much for Christian values.
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