By 1645, the British Isles had been torn apart by fighting between the Royalists, who supported Charles I and his Divine Right to rule the country as he wished, and the Parliamentarians, who were unified in their belief that the King should serve the country in the best interests of the people. The Parliamentarians first suffered defeat at the battle of Newbury, which enraged newly appointed Oliver Cromwell to such an extent that he created Britain's first national army to be unified by discipline, uniforms, regulations, training, and command. The Battle of Naseby saw Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army win the decisive battle of the English Civil War, effectively bringing an end to the absolute power of the monarchy.

• Peter Snow