Charles promised a general pardon but excluded those directly responsible for his father's execution. The regicides were those who signed Charles I's death warrant in 1649 — 59 men in total.
| Outcome | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Executed | 13 | Hanged, drawn and quartered. Included Thomas Harrison. |
| Imprisoned for life | 25 | Confined to the Tower or other prisons. |
| Pardoned or fled | Many | Charles was relatively merciful to avoid stoking resentment. |
| Posthumous executions | 3 | Bodies of Cromwell, Ireton, and Bradshaw exhumed and "executed" at Tyburn in 1661. |
The symbolic humiliation of Cromwell's corpse — dug up, hanged, and then beheaded — demonstrated that the Restoration was also an act of revenge, even if a limited one.
This key facts covers The Regicide Trials: Revenge and Restraint within The Restoration for GCSE History. Revise The Restoration in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 5 of 15 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for The Restoration
On what date did Charles II ride into London to restore the monarchy?
Why was Richard Cromwell nicknamed 'Tumbledown Dick'?