text: can anyone tell me who was on the english throne in 1642?   charles the 1st (king from 1625 - 1649)  edit  lucky, there was no english king between charles 1sts execution in 1649 and charles 2nd becoming king in 1660.  the cromwells (oliver then his son richard) were in charge with their parliament supposedly running the country, though oliver ruled like a monarch.