William Laud was a 17th-century Anglican prelate and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Born in Reading in 1573, he rose through the ecclesiastical hierarchy to become a primary religious advisor to King Charles I. He was a staunch defender of episcopal rule and promoted a reform movement known as Laudianism, which emphasized liturgical ceremony and clerical authority. Due to his controversial religious policies and political influence, he faced intense opposition from Puritans, leading to his arrest by Parliament and his eventual execution in 1645 during the First English Civil War.