What Happened to Charles I’s Corpse? Where Was Charles I Buried?

From History Calling

How was CHARLES I’S CORPSE LOST, and how was he found again? In this Stuart royal history documentary from History Calling, we start in 1649 with the execution of Charles I, the King who lost his head to the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. After a brief look at the events of that day, we then move forward to look at what happened to Charles I’s body in the immediate aftermath of his death, when it was put on display, with the head sewn back on, to prove his demise. I’ll then share details of precisely where Charles I was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, how the location of his body was lost to history and how he was eventually found again, by accident, in 1813. I’ll disclose how the King’s body was discovered in the vault of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, what Charles I’s coffin is like, the condition his remains were in (complete with a contemporary drawing of his head) and the appalling and disrespectful decision made by some of those who examined it, including the Prince Regent, aka the future George IV, to steal pieces of the dead King’s remains as gruesome souvenirs. Seriously, why do people do that? We’ll then look at the second time the vault was opened that century, which was in 1888 in the presence of the then Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII). This was so that the ‘relics’ stolen during the 1813 opening could be replaced and again, you’ll hear an eye-witness report explaining what condition the various coffins and remains were in at that stage. Finally, we’ll look at the memorial slab which now marks Charles I’s grave, and at when, why and by whom it was installed.