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Why did Charles I refuse to recognize the High Court of Justice?

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Painting of the Battle of Naseby shows cavalry and infantry clashing, with soldiers on horseback leading a charge and fallen fighters on the ground amid the chaos of battle. — English Civil Wars *Battle of Naseby*, by an unknown artist. The victory of the Parliamentarian New Model Army, under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, over the Royalist army, commanded by Prince Rupert, at the Battle of Naseby (June 14, 1645) marked the decisive turning point in the English Civil War.

Charles I refused to recognize the authority of the High Court of Justice during his 1649 trial because he maintained that "a king cannot be tried by any superior jurisdiction on earth."12

His refusal was rooted in the doctrine of the divine right of kings, which asserted that monarchs derived their authority directly from God and were therefore not accountable to any earthly institution, such as a parliament or a court. By challenging the court's legality, Charles I sought to uphold the principle of monarchical absolutism, arguing that he stood for "the liberty of the people of England" against what he viewed as an illegitimate rebellion. Consequently, he refused to enter a plea, though he was ultimately convicted of high treason and executed.312