born Oct. 4, 1626
died July 12, 1712, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, Eng.
Lord protector of England (September 1658–May 1659).
He was the eldest surviving son of Oliver Cromwell , who groomed him for high office. He served in the Parliamentary army and was a member of Parliament and the council of state. After his father's death he was proclaimed lord protector, but he soon encountered serious difficulties and was forced to abdicate. Having amassed large debts, he fled to Paris in 1660 to escape his creditors; in 1680 he returned and lived in seclusion.
Richard Cromwell, miniature by an unknown artist; in the National Portrait Gallery, London
By courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London