Editing Pride's Purge (section)

==Aftermath==
Between December 1648 to January 1649, Pride's regiment received nearly £8,000 in back pay, substantially more than any other unit in this period. He was later appointed to the tribunal that tried Charles for treason, and signed his death warrant; he became wealthy under the [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]], and died in 1659.{{sfn|Gentles|2004}}

[[File:Gonzales Coques - The Execution of Charles I of England.jpg|thumb|left|The execution of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], which the Purge made possible]]

The Purge eliminated from Parliament those who backed a negotiated settlement with Charles, which included moderate Independents, as well as Presbyterians. Even those who wanted him removed did not necessarily support his execution; this included Fairfax, who refused to take part in his trial, and initially Cromwell, who returned to London from the siege of [[Pontefract Castle]] in early December. In return for sparing his life, he hoped Charles would order the [[James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond|Duke of Ormond]] to end negotiations with the [[Confederate Ireland|Irish Confederacy]], and prevent a new war in Ireland.{{sfn|Ackroyd|2014|p=305}}

Once it became clear Charles had no intention of doing so, Cromwell became convinced he had to die, stating "we will cut off his head with the crown still on it". On 1 January 1649, the Commons passed an Ordinance to try the king for treason; when this was rejected by the [[House of Lords]], the Commons declared themselves the supreme power in the state, and proceeded with the trial.{{sfn|Royle|2004|pp=487-489}}

The trial was backed by republicans like [[Edmund Ludlow]], who argued Charles must die to "appease the wrath of God for the blood shed during the wars", and supported the Purge as the only way to ensure this.{{sfn|Ludlow|1978|p=143}} They were outnumbered by those who opposed it; only 52 of the 135 appointed judges turned up. A demand by Charles that he be tried by Parliament was blocked by Ireton and Cromwell, as even the Rump Parliament was likely to vote against the death sentence.{{sfn|Ackroyd|2014|pp=308-309}}

[[Execution of Charles I|Charles was executed]] on 30 January, but in a society that placed enormous emphasis on the [[Rule of law in the United Kingdom|rule of law]], the circumstances of his death, and the military coup that preceded it, tainted the subsequent [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]] from its inception. Intended to remove the Army's opponents from Parliament, the Purge only deepened internal divisions, which continued until it was dissolved in 1653.{{sfn|Carlson|1942|pp=87-88}}