Prince Rupert of the Rhine: King Charles I’s Cavalier Commander

A revealing biography of Prince Rupert, challenging myths and reshaping his role in Britain’s civil wars.

Prince Rupert of the Rhine was an intrinsic part of the civil wars that devastated the three kingdoms of Stuart Britain. A nephew of King Charles I, Rupert was both the archetypical royalist hero and parliamentarian villain. In his lifetime, he accumulated at least nine derogatory pseudonyms - from ’Duke of Plunderland’ to ’The Diabolical Cavalier’ - with one even coined in 2023. Such polarising viewpoints and propaganda, along with numerous historical myths, often make it challenging to understand the real Rupert.

When approaching this biography, Mark Turnbull delved into numerous and varied archives to reconstruct a tapestry of the Civil War and Rupert’s part in it. This highlighted historical errors, gave fresh perspectives, and revealed brand-new information. Key myths are examined, and the prince’s flaws and fame are assessed to produce a balanced and definitive biography. The women in Rupert’s life have never had the prominence they deserve, partly down to the sad fact that there is a lack of surviving records relating to them. That said, Mark’s research has managed to unearth exciting new details about his lover, Lady Katherine Scott, together with mistresses Frances Bard and Margaret Hughes.

Valuable studies of the Battles of Vlotho (1638) and Powick Bridge (1642) challenge previous historical narratives and help reshape Rupert’s story. Deciphering 380-year-old coded letters provides extra insight into the prince’s mindset prior to his surrender of Bristol in 1645. Additionally, the formal start of the English Civil War is re-examined in view of two much-overlooked Parliamentary declarations. It has been 17 years since the last biography of Prince Rupert. This ground-breaking book gets to the heart of the man and provides not only a new understanding of him but also of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.