Royalist

Term often used to describe monarchist factions. In England, it is used especially for those who supported Charles I during the English Civil War. They are also known as ‘Cavaliers’, and their opponents as ‘Parliamentarians’ or Roundheads.

The Royalists first appeared as a distinct group in Parliament during the debates on the Root and Branch Petition in the House of Commons in 1641. As the Civil War progressed it was obvious that the Royalists were strongest in the northwest, and the Parliamentarians in the southeast, though there were several exceptions to this, such as Royalist Colchester in the southeast and Parliamentarian Gloucester in the west. Royalists were drawn from all classes, though their steadiest support came from the lesser gentry. They embraced a wide range of religious opinions: Catholics and Arminians were all Royalist, but the party included moderate Anglicans and, after 1649, many Presbyterians and some of the Independents. This diverse group was, in fact, held together solely by its allegiance to the king.