Monarch Gallery

Charles I and Speaker Lenthall, c1850, (1947). Creator: Unknown

Charles I and Speaker Lenthall, c1850, (1947). On 4 January 1642, King Charles I (1600-1649, standing, in hat) entered the House of Commons to arrest five Members of Parliament for high treason. Speaker William Lenthall (1591-1662) defied the King to uphold the privileges of Parliament. The King had to leave without arresting the Five Members. No monarch has entered the House of Commons since then. After Speaker Lenthall Asserting the Privileges of the Commons Against Charles I when the Attempt was made to Seize the Five Members, painting by Charles West Cope in the Palace of Westminster in London. From "The House of Commons", by Martin Lindsay M.P. [Collins, London, 1947]

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Anne of Cleves, 1539, (1909). Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger

Anne of Cleves, 1539, (1909). Henry VIII married Anne (1515-1557), a German Protestant princess, in 1540 for political reasons at the urging of his Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell. Hans Holbein painted this portrait of Anne for Henry who, finding her appearance on canvas to his liking, agreed to the marriage. In the flesh however, he found her considerably less attractive, and the marriage was annulled after only six months. Painting in the Louvre Museum, Paris. From Holbein - Masterpieces in Colour, by S. L. Bensusan. [T. C. & E. C. Jack, Frederick A. Stokes Co. London & New York, 1909]

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The Char-a-banc presented to Her Majesty by the King of the French, 1844

The Char-a-banc presented to Her Majesty by the King of the French, 1844. Queen Victoria and King Louis Philippe of France ride from the Queen's Entrance at Windsor Castle to Twickenham. This elegant vehicle is a modification of the family jaunting van of Normandy...It is built to accommodate eight persons; the body of the carriage being divided into four double seats. A neat canopy, supported by brass pillars, protects the company against the sun...The framework of the carriage is light, but substantial, firmly girded with iron fittings, and suited to the traffic of rougher roads than are ordinarily found in this country...Approach to the seats is gained from the sides, by three steps, which close and shut in beneath the floor of the carriage'. From "Illustrated London News", 1844, Vol V

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