After a visit to Helmsley Castle at the age of 10, Mark Turnbull bought a pack of cards featuring the monarchs of England. The card portraying King Charles I fascinated him.

Van Dyck’s regal portrait of the King and the fact that he was executed by his own people were the beginnings of Mark’s passionate interest in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms that has lasted ever since.

He thoroughly enjoys bringing this period to life through writing fiction and contributing to understanding of it via non-fiction works. His most recent books are biographies: ‘Charles I’s Private Life’, an exploration of the man behind the monarch, and ‘Prince Rupert of the Rhine; King Charles I’s Cavalier Commander. He has produced articles for magazines, local newspapers and online educational sites. A Joint-Chair of The Battlefields Trust (North Region) Mark is also is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Mark also produces a War of the Three Kingdoms podcast called ‘CavalierCast – The Civil War in Words’. This is the only known podcast solely dedicated to the civil wars. It explores a variety of topics with leading historians and authors.