Colonel, Lord Charles Cavendish

We’ve already met Charles Cavendish, the dashing Royalist officer in a painting held at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. This portrait also hangs there and is in many respects identical to the first one, but here Charles is a bit older and presumably more experienced in battle than his younger counterpart. He is wearing the same short buffcoat and breastplate, the sword is still there and oddly his hair style is identical (though I wouldn’t have expected a flattering portrait to show any grey hairs that had resulted from his military service). There is no waist scarf now and the braid on his sleeves runs vertically rather than horizontally with the large cuff turn-backs showing a rather nice red silky lining. His sword now hangs from a shoulder baldrick rather than a waist belt, and his falling band and cuffs are edged with lace instead of the plain ones he wore previously.

The main difference is the look he’s giving us from the picture. That’s the look of a man who has seen things he’d rather not have I feel. Not quite the hundred yard stare but definitely the effects of war.

Colonel, Lord Charles Cavendish (1620-1643)

4 Responses to “Colonel, Lord Charles Cavendish”

  1. So,I wonder , is this Charles Cavendish b1620 [son of the Duke of Devonshire ]killed at Battle of Gainsborough in 1643 or the Charles Cavendish b1626 [son of the Duke of Newcastle] who went into exile with his father after Marston Moor?

  2. I don’t know Alan. Needs some research I reckon. I’m pretty happy that all 3 paintings of Charles are the same bloke, the facial features are very similar.

  3. The 3rd painting being the Wikipedia one of CC born 1620 ?

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