Nearly 400 years after his death, Oliver Cromwell is still one of the most polarising figures in British history. He played a central role in the 17th century English Civil Wars, in the execution of King Charles I, and the establishment of the Commonwealth. For some he is a defender of parliamentary power and religious reform. For others he’s a regicidal dictator, a puritanical fanatic intent on banning Christmas. The truth is likely somewhere between those two poles, but whichever side of the fence you sit on, his story, and the events after his death, are remarkable.
RISE TO POWER
Oliver Cromwell was born on 25 April 1599 in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, into a relatively wealthy family. Educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, Cromwell initially remained relatively low-profile as a landowner and Member of Parliament for Huntingdon. However, by the 1640s, England was in crisis. King Charles I and Parliament were at loggerheads over issues such as taxation, religion, and royal authority – a dispute that culminated in the outbreak of civil war in 1642.
Cromwell quickly proved himself an effective military leader, commanding the New Model Army – a disciplined and ideologically committed force that would prove decisive in the conflict. His victories at battles such as Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby (1645) ensured Parliament’s triumph over the Royalists. By 1649, Cromwell was a central figure in the trial and execution of Charles I, a moment that shocked Europe and marked the beginning of the Interregnum – the period without a monarchy.
LORD PROTECTOR
In 1653, following years of political instability, Cromwell assumed the title of Lord Protector, effectively ruling as a military dictator while maintaining the façade of a republican government. His administration sought to implement a ‘godly reformation’ in England, emphasising Puritan religious values. The agenda included efforts to reform public morality, suppress vice, and enforce strict observance of the Sabbath.

While Cromwell’s government achieved some notable successes – including the suppression of rebellions in Ireland and Scotland and a reinvigoration of trade through naval dominance – his rule was far from universally popular. Many citizens resented his heavy-handed policies, particularly his use of military force to dissolve Parliament when it opposed him.
DID CROMWELL REALLY BAN CHRISTMAS?
The claim that Cromwell personally banned Christmas is likely a myth but it reflects the broader religious reforms enacted during the Interregnum, when the Puritan-dominated Parliament implemented measures to curtail Christmas celebrations. Puritans viewed festivities, including feasting, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol, as frivolous and sinful distractions from proper religious observance.
In 1644, during the height of the Civil War, Parliament passed an ordinance mandating that Christmas be observed as a day of fasting and repentance, aligning it with Puritan ideals of spiritual solemnity. The ban was reaffirmed in 1647, with laws prohibiting the celebration of Christmas, Easter, and other traditional holidays. Shops were ordered to remain open on 25 December, and displays of decorations, such as holly and ivy, were discouraged.
While Cromwell likely supported these measures, there is little evidence to suggest he was their primary architect. However, as the leader of the Commonwealth, his name became synonymous with the austere religious reforms of the period. Resistance to the ban was widespread, with reports of secret Christmas celebrations and riots in cities like Canterbury. Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, restrictions were repealed, and Christmas was restored as a public holiday.
Cromwell’s religious policies extended beyond Christmas. He sought to create a society that reflected Puritan values, promoting preaching, moral behaviour, and the suppression of perceived immorality. At the same time, Cromwell demonstrated a degree of religious tolerance unusual for the period, welcoming Jewish people back to England after their expulsion in 1290 and allowing a measure of freedom for Protestant dissenters.
However, his actions in Ireland remain deeply controversial. Cromwell’s brutal military campaign against Irish Catholics, including the massacres at Drogheda and Wexford, has been condemned as genocidal by some historians. To this day, his name evokes bitter memories in Ireland, underscoring the complexity of his legacy.
DEATH AND LEGACY
Oliver Cromwell died on 3 September 1658, likely of natural causes, though his health had been in decline for some time. His death marked the beginning of the end for the Commonwealth. Without his leadership, the fragile republican experiment faltered, and the monarchy was restored in 1660 under Charles II.

Cromwell’s body suffered posthumous indignities after the Restoration – a measure of the deep Commonshatred he inspired in the King and in Royalist circles. In 1661, his corpse was exhumed and subjected to a symbolic execution – hanged, beheaded, and placed on public display.
Bizarrely, Cromwell’s head remained on display on the roof of Westminster Hall until 1684, until it was believed to have been taken home by a guard. The gruesome souvenir passed through the hands of museums and private collectors for centuries until 1960 when it was finally buried at Sidney Sussex college, Cambridge.