Oliver Cromwell led the Parliamentarian forces to victory in the English Civil War. As a result, King Charles I was beheaded on Jan. 30, 1649. Cromwell became ruler of England and was proclaimed Lord Protector in 1653. This was ironic because although Cromwell was anti-monarchy, he basically was a king until his death in 1658. His rule is called the Protectorate. He was given an elaborate state funeral. His body was embalmed and placed in a lead coffin for the procession. He was then buried in Westminster Abbey with a bunch of English kings. In 1660, the Restoration began when the English realized they liked having a royal family to worship. Charles II took the throne and royal weddings, funerals, and scandals resumed. Now that the monarchy was back, it was time for revenge against the perpetrators of the beheading of Charles I. Twelve of the most prominent regicides were tried and hanged, drawn, and quartered. Ouch! But what about the worst of the worst – Oliver Cromwell? He cheated the hangman by dying, right? Nope. Parliament ordered his body (and that of John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton) to be exhumed. On the twelfth anniversary of the death of Charles I, the three bodies were carried through the streets of London in open coffins. A large crowd witnessed the hanging of the corpses. This passed for entertainment in the 17th Century. Cromwell’s head was chopped off. It took eight chops. Unfortunately, the crowd was not treated to the blood splatters that a live corpse would have provided. The head was then put on an iron spike over Westminster Hall. Take that, Oliver! But wait, there’s more. The head stayed up until it was knocked off by a storm in 1684. It is believed it was picked up by a sentry and he took it home. Over the years, the head moved through various private owners (“Hey, why don’t you come over to my place? I have something to show you.”) and museums. In March 25, 1960, the head was finally buried at Sidney Sussex College (Cromwell’s alma mater). Now that we have another King Charles, who knows if it will rest in peace.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell%27s_head
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