Annual Commemoration of the Execution of King Charles I

On Saturday January 30, 1649, King Charles I was publicly executed outside Banqueting House, on Whitehall, by the Parliamentarians.

On Sunday January 25, 2026, the English Civil War Society held its annual commemoration of the illegal execution of King Charles I, by the Parliament, for the 54th time.

The costumed march of over 200 volunteers armed with muskets, pikes, swords and cannons began on The Mall, near St James's Palace, at 11:30 and made its way to Horse Guards Parade ground.

It was here that a religious drumhead service was held, a Colour was trooped and blessed, the Oath of Loyalty was administered and awards and commissions were presented. 

The wreath was then blessed and trooped around the whole army, before the honour guard took it and fixed it to the railings of Banqueting House, on Whitehall, bringing the ceremony to a close.

The official policy of the King's Army is to never refer to it as an execution as this infers a legal act, which this was not. 

Tower Hill Scaffold Site

On the western edge of Trinity Square Gardens, you will find a small square with a horrific history. This was almost the exact site of the Tower Hill Scaffold, where more than 125 people were put to death.

Executions took place at this site from around the 1380s through to 1780, when executions were moved to Tyburn.

Although Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury and Sir Robert Hales are listed as having been executed here, in 1381, the official records state that Sir Simon de Burley, K.G., was the first person executed here, in 1388.

The executions were highly ceremonial, with the ceremony often beginning the night before. Often prisoners would be taken by horse and cart, through the streets, being fed ale or mead, on their way to the scaffold. People would line the streets, often hurling vegetables, sometimes stones, at the poor wretch who was about to die.

Once at the scaffold site, hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people would gather with their families, to witness the execution.

All of these were public executions, with various methods being employed to dispatch the condemned.

Sir William Wallace Memorial

Sir William Wallace Memorial.

The memorial, above, was installed in 1956, and adorns the wall of St Bartholomew's Hospital, close to where the execution took place.

Below the English text follows an inscription in Latin and Gaelic that translates as:

"I tell you the truth, son, freedom is the best condition, never live like a slave."

"Victory or Death."

The Smithfield area, originally known as Smoothfield, of London was once used by the Romans as a place to muster troops and to bury the dead, and was a large area of open ground outside of the Roman walls. 

Once the Romans had left Londinium the land was used for many different uses throughout the centuries, that included the grazing of livestock, summer fairs, jousting and executions.

Executions took on varying forms that included burning at the stake, for heretics, hanging, and the most vicious execution of all... hanged-drawn-and-quartered, usually reserved for treason. Executions would carry on at this spot until some time in the 1400s, when the gallows were moved to Tyburn. 

The execution area was known as the Elms, which was a medieval word for scaffold.

It is impossible to quantify the amount of people who were put to death here, throughout the centuries, but the most notable for me would be the execution of Sir William Wallace.

London Ghost Bus Tours

Emma, Erin and Keilyn waiting to board the Necrobus.

Thursday October 31, 2019.

My wife, myself and our two daughters, who are 6 & 7, managed to grab some tickets for the 19:30 tour, on Halloween 2019, and were not disappointed. 

Our pick-up was on time and all of the staff on the street and on the Necrobus were warm, friendly and helpful. 

Being one of the first groups on the Necrobus, we were able to pick some of the best seats, which were upstairs. They were remarkably comfortable, with curtains and lamps in the windows, making it feel warm and inviting, which helped people relax. 

This sense of ease, to which we succumbed, caught us off guard as various ghostly goings on plagued our trip.

The seats, curtains and lamps on the upstairs of the Necrobus.

Our conductor, Marcus, was very knowledgeable and obviously enjoyed his role. His stories were accurate and, equally, ghastly and entertaining. I think he managed to point out every murder site, haunted place and execution spot on the route, along with names and dates. 

Mr. Hinge, the Health and Safety officer, took his job seriously, too, ensuring that there was full disclosure about 'events' that had happened on the Necrobus, in the past. Although, it did take him a while to get all of the facts out of our conductor.

A lamp that flickered, normally when a spirit was present.

We travelled around Whitehall, Westminster, the City of London, through Holborn, crossed the River Thames, visited Southwark and more, before heading back to our drop-off point. 

So much more went on, but I would hate to spoil it for anyone that hasn't taken the trip. Suffice to say that we will be taking this tour again.

A bit of trivia, about our Necrobus:

• It had run on a designated route, in London, until 2005
• It's designation was RML2528, with the registration plate of JJD528D
• It was purchased by The Ghost Bus Tours in 2013
• It is painted in a midnight black livery

Ghost Bus Tours London

As a side note, they also operate Ghost Bus Tours in York and Edinburgh.

The Necrobus.