Cor Caroli (α CVn, α Canum Venaticorum, Alpha Canum Venaticorum) is the brightest star in the northern constellation Canes Venatici. It is a binary star consisting of two distantly separated components. The name Cor Caroli means "Charles's Heart", and was named in the 17th century to honour the King Charles I of England who was beheaded in 1649.