Charles I's Execution at The Banqueting House

On 30th January 1649 Charles I was executed on a specially constructed scaffold outside the Banqueting House, Whitehall. He had spent his final few hours inside Whitehall Palace and walked across the Banqueting Hall and stepped out of a window on to the scaffold. In January 2013 we are commemorating this extraordinary moment in history with a small display close to the spot where Charles stepped out on the scaffold. The display will tell in outline the story of the events leading up to his execution through a series of banners which visitors will be able to read as they climb the stairs to the main Banqueting Hall. Under the magnificent full length portrait of Charles I by Daniel Mytens a short emotive film will show Charles’s final few hours when he burned his private papers, bid farewell to his youngest children and said his prayers. The display will be a permanent addition to the Banqueting House and will complement the audio-guide and introductory film already on offer.