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Primary sourceArtifact1616

Sheet of three roundels showing Prince Charles

Simon van de Pass · 1616

A 1616 sheet of three small engraved roundels by Simon van de Pass, showing Charles as a boy prince. It records how he was presented to the public in his youth.

Shows Charles as a boy prince in three roles, an early image of the future king made when he was young.

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Scanned sheet of cream paper with three small oval engraved portraits arranged vertically down the center. The top roundel shows a man in a ruff collar and armor-like garment; the middle roundel shows a man in a ruff and cloak; the bottom roundel shows a mounted rider on a horse. Faded handwritten pencil note at upper left reads Prince Charles, and a small printed letter mark appears beside the top and middle roundels.
Simon van de Pass, Sheet of three roundels showing Prince Charles, 1616. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This is a sheet of cream paper with three small oval engravings arranged down the centre. Simon van de Pass made the engravings in 1616. The top roundel shows a man in a ruff collar and an armour-like garment, the middle roundel shows a man in a ruff and cloak, and the bottom roundel shows a mounted rider on a horse. The lettering reads Carolus princeps Walliae and is printed in reverse. A faded pencil note at the upper left reads Prince Charles. The sheet is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

In 1616 Charles was a young prince, and portraits like these were a common way to make a royal family known to the public. The roundels show him in several roles, including as Duke of York and Albany and as Prince of Wales. They reveal how the royal image was shaped from childhood, and they connect Charles to the engravers who produced such prints for the court.

Look closer

  • How does each roundel present the young prince differently, and what is the horse doing in the bottom image?
  • Why would the lettering be printed in reverse, and what does that tell you about how prints were made?
  • What might the pencil note tell you about who owned or handled this sheet later?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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