We are living through historic times. The momentous second Elizabethan age has ended - and we have a new king, Charles III. It will take a while to get used to.
The first kings bearing that name - Charles I and his son, Charles II - are two of the most notable names in the story of our nation. Charles I, especially, at the eye of the storm of the 17th century English Civil War, and what some historians term the English Revolution, is one of the major figures in British history.
Interestingly, part of his story was centred in Newcastle where folk today regularly pass the location where he was held as an open prisoner for eight months in 1646 and 1647. It’s on Grey Street, a stone’s throw from the Theatre Royal, and Grey’s Monument, and opposite the Central Arcade - although neither the street or the buildings existed at the time.
