Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland (17 December 1619-29 November 1682) was a Cavalier general during the English Civil War and Lord High Admiral of England from 1668 to 1682.
Biography[]
Prince Rupert of the Rhine was born in Prague, Bohemia on 17 December 1619, the son of Frederick V of Palatinate and Elizabeth of Bohemia, making him the grandson of James I of England and the nephew of Charles I of England. He was raised in the Netherlands after his Protestant father was ousted from the Bohemian throne during the Thirty Years' War, and, at the age of 18, he was taken prisoner fighting against imperial forces at the Battle of Vlotho. Released on parole, he travelled to England in August 1642 to fight for his uncle at the start of the English Civil War. He was given command of the Royalist cavalry and, in October 1642, he led a dashing charge at the Battle of Edgehill which routed the enemy horse; he lost the chance of a decisive victory by a headlong pursuit off the battlefield. However, he proved efficient and energetic as well as bold, becoming commander-in-chief of the Royalist army in 1644. Major defeats at Marston Moor and Naseby harmed Rupert's reputation, however, and he was dismissed and then exiled from England in 1646. For six years, he commanded a Royalist fleet, and, after the Restoration, naval affairs remained his main interest. He was one of England's most effective admirals in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1665-1667 and 1672-74, and he died in 1682 at the age of 62.
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