Charles I of England was the second King of the then newly enthroned House of Stuart and had many descendants. He was the second but eldest surviving son of King James I of England. He became heir apparent to the English, Irish and Scottish thrones on the death of his elder brother in 1612. Later, he married a Bourbon princess, Henrietta Maria of France, after a failed Spanish match.
During his time in Spain, he met a daughter from one of the junior branches of the Brydges family (Barons Chandos) of Sudeley Castle, by whom he had a natural daughter, Joanna Brydges, who was brought up in Mandinam, Wales. She went on to marry Bishop Jeremy Taylor, as his second wife. From this marriage, two daughters were born, Mary Taylor, who married Bishop Francis Marsh and had issue; and Joanna Taylor, who married Edward Harrison, MP for Lisburn, and had issue.
His reign is known for his conflicts with the Parliament of England, which sought to curb his royal prerogative. Charles believed in the divine right of kings, which was against the belief of many of his subjects, leading to them perceiving his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch. His religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, made him an enemy of the Puritans and Calvinists. Most of his actions as monarch ultimately helped precipitate the English Civil War and his eventual deposition and beheading in 1649 and the declaration of the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell.
Many of today's European royalty are descendants of Charles, such as Juan Carlos I of Spain, Franz, Duke of Bavaria, Philippe of Belgium, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the late Otto von Habsburg. Many are related to him via collateral lines, such as Charles III of the United Kingdom (descended from his sister Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, mother of Sophia, Electress of Hanover); Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Margrethe II of Denmark. He is also the ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, mother of William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex who are first and fifth in line to the succession to the British throne. This article deals with the numerous individuals who are and were descendants of Charles by his wife Henrietta Maria of France. He is not known to have had any illegitimate children after his marriage.
Marriage and progeny
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Marriages and issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Charles II of England |  | 29 May 1630 | 6 February 1685 | Married Catherine of Braganza in 1662. No legitimate liveborn issue. had illegitimate issue from various mistresses |
| Mary, Princess Royal |  | 4 November 1631 | 24 December 1660 | Married William II, Prince of Orange (1626–1650) in 1641. She had one child: King William III. |
| King James II of England |  | 24 October 1633 | 16 September 1701 | Married 1stly: Anne Hyde (1637–1671) in 1660. Had issue, Protestants, Queen Mary II and Queen Anne; Married 2ndly: Mary of Modena (1658–1718) in 1673. Had issue, Roman Catholics, namely James, Prince of Wales "the Old Pretender" and Louisa Maria Teresa |
| Elizabeth Stuart |  | 28 December 1635 | 8 September 1650 | No issue |
| Henry, Duke of Gloucester | %252C_Duke_of_Gloucester.jpg.webp) | 8 July 1640 | 13 September 1660 | No issue |
| Princess Henrietta Anne |  | 16 June 1644 | 30 June 1670 | Married Philip, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701) in 1661. Had issue. |
Descendants
Illegitimate progeny of Charles II of England
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth |  | 9 April 1649 Rotterdam, Netherlands Son of Charles II and Lucy Walter | Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch | 15 July 1685 (aged 36) | Ancestor of Spencer Perceval, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and Sarah, Duchess of York. |
| Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth |  | 1657 Westminster, England Son of Charles II and Catherine Pegge | Lady Bridget Osborne No issue | 17 October 1680 (aged 23) | Has no surviving descendants. |
| Charles Fitzroy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland | %252C_Duchess_of_Cleveland_with_her_son%252C_Charles_Fitzroy%252C_as_Madonna_and_Child_by_Sir_Peter_Lely.jpg.webp) | 18 June 1662 Son of Charles II and Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland | Mary Wood no issue Anne Pulteney had issue | 9 September 1730 (aged 68) | Has no surviving descendants. |
| Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield | .svg.png.webp) | 5 September 1664 Daughter of Charles II and Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland | Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield 18 children | 17 February 1718 (aged 54) | Ancestor of Anthony Eden; Her great-great-granddaughter Eleanor Calvert married John Parke Custis, stepson of George Washington. She is also an ancestor of the Mitford sisters. |
| Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton |  | 28 September 1663 Son of Charles II and Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland | Isabella Bennet, 2nd Countess of Arlington 1 son | 9 October 1690 (aged 27) | Ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales |
| George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland |  | 28 December 1665 Son of Charles II and Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland | Catherine Wheatly No issue Mary Dutton No issue | 28 June 1716 (aged 51) | Has no surviving descendants. |
| Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans |  | 8 May 1670 Son of Charles II and Nell Gwynne | Diana de Vere 12 children 1 illegitimate daughter | 10 May 1726 (aged 56) | Ancestor of Samantha Cameron, wife of former Conservative Leader and Prime Minister David Cameron. |
| Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond |  | 29 July 1672 England Son of Charles II and Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth | Anne Brudenell 3 children 1 illegitimate child | 27 May 1723 (aged 51) | Ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales |
Progeny of Princess Mary
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King William III of England |  | 14 November 1650 Son of Mary and William II | Mary II of England No Issue | 8 March 1702 (aged 51) | Deposed his uncle James II of England and was crowned King. Married his cousin, Princess Mary, and jointly ruled with her; has no surviving descendants. |
Progeny of James II of England
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Mary II of England |  | 30 April 1662, daughter of James II and Lady Anne Hyde | William III of England No issue | 28 December 1694 (aged 32) | Ruled jointly with her cousin and husband, William; has no descendants. |
| Queen Anne of Great Britain |  | 6 February 1665, Daughter of James II and Lady Anne Hyde | Prince George of Denmark 17 children | 1 August 1714 (aged 49) | Presided over the union of England and Scotland as Great Britain; Her only son to survive infanthood, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, died young, hence she has no descendants. |
| James Francis Edward Stuart |  | 10 June 1688, Son of James II and Mary of Modena | Maria Klementyna Sobieska 2 children | 1 January 1766 (aged 77) | The House of Stuart ended with the death of his second son, the Cardinal of York. |
| Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart |  | 28 June 1692, Daughter of James II and Mary of Modena | Never married | 18 April 1712 (aged 19) | She was the last legitimate female scion of the House of Stuart, other than her elder half-sister, Anne; She was a possible match for Charles XII of Sweden, her first cousin, once removed Charles, Duke of Berry, and another cousin, the future George II of Great Britain; has no descendants. |
Illegitimate progeny of James II of England
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick |  | 21 August 1670, Son of James II and his mistress Arabella Churchill | Honora de Burgh 1 children Anne Bulkeley 10 children | 12 June 1734 (aged 64) | Has surviving descendants. His full-sister, Henrietta FitzJames, is the ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. |
Progeny of Henrietta of England
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marie Louise d'Orléans |  | 26 March 1662, Daughter of Philippe d'Orléans and Henrietta | Charles II of Spain No Issue | 12 February 1689 (aged 26) | Was the first wife of the last Habsburg monarch of Spain, Charles II. Has no descendants. |
| Anne Marie d'Orléans |  | 27 August 1669, Daughter of Philippe d'Orléans and Henrietta | Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia 3 children | 26 August 1728 (aged 69) | Has surviving descendants. Her daughter married into the French royal family and became the mother of Louis XV of France. |
Grandchildren and later descendants of Henrietta of England
| Name of descendant | Portrait | Birth and parents | Marriages and issue | Death | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marie Adélaïde of Savoy | %252C_Duchess_of_Burgundy_in_1710_by_Gobert.jpg.webp) | 6 December 1685, Daughter of Anne Marie and Victor Amadeus | Louis, Duke of Burgundy 2 children | 12 February 1712 (aged 26) | Has surviving descendants through her only surviving son, Louis, who succeeded his great-grandfather as Louis XV of France. |
| Louis XV of France |  | 15 February 1710, Son of Marie Adélaïde and Louis, Duke of Burgundy | Marie Leszczyńska 10 children | 10 May 1774 (aged 64) | Has surviving descendants, among whom are Juan Carlos I of Spain and Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, the current legitimist pretender to the defunct French throne. |
| Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Parma | _by_Jean-Marc_Nattier.jpg.webp) | 14 August 1727, Daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska | Philip, Duke of Parma 3 children | 6 December 1759 (aged 32) | Has numerous descendants through her son, Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and her daughter Maria Luisa (later Queen of Spain). Their descendants frequently intermarried between each other and as such, many individuals today can claim descent from both siblings. Among their descendants are Juan Carlos I of Spain, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Philippe of Belgium, Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou and Infanta Alicia, Duchess of Calabria. |
| Ferdinand, Duke of Parma |  | 20 January 1751, Son of Louise Élisabeth and Philip, Duke of Parma | Maria Amalia of Austria 3 children | 9 October 1802 (aged 51) | His surviving daughter Caroline married into the Royal Family of Saxony and has many descendants within the Royal Families of Saxony, Italy, Austria and Bavaria. His son Louis continued the line of the House of Bourbon-Parma. He is also an ancestor of the current Carlist pretender to the Spanish throne, Carlos, Duke of Parma and also of members of the Tuscan, Austrian and Luxembourgian royal families. |
| Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain |  | 9 December 1751 Daughter of Louise Élisabeth and Philip, Duke of Parma | Charles IV of Spain 7 children | 2 January 1819 (aged 67) | Has numerous descendants in the existing branches of the House of Bourbon and also shares many descendants with her brother, Ferdinand, due to the intermarriage prevalent in the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon and its own cadet branches. Royal heads of state like Juan Carlos I of Spain, Philippe of Belgium and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg descend in direct lines from her. |