A near half-length portrait of Charles I to left. He wears a dark cloak with the Star of the Garter embroidered on it and has a pearl earring in his left ear, (stated in the sale catalogue in 1938 to be the one he wore on the day of his execution in 1649). King Charles took a considerable interest in the Navy and it was his shortage of money to support it that led him to extend the levying of Ship Money to the inland towns, thus helping precipitate the Civil War.

The painting is from the collection of Earl of Denbigh, and thought to be after a three-quarter length portrait at Dresden. It was acquired for the Museum in 1938 with one of the same size of Queen Henrietta Maria (BHC2761). There are reasonable grounds to think the Henrietta Maria is a van Dyck studio version that went into the Denbigh family very soon after painting: the original of that one is now in Memphis, Tennessee. When this one was painted is uncertain, though it may be fairly early.