Darnay specifically resents the views of his uncle, Marquis St. Evrémonde, who has no respect for the people in poverty.

He abandons his own family name in favor of his mother's, D'Aulnais, which he later alters to "Darnay"; relocating to London, he finds work as a tutor of French language and literature.

Darnay is put on trial for treason against the Kingdom of Great Britain, but the key eyewitness testimony against him is undermined when his defense counsel directs attention to Sydney Carton, a barrister who has been assisting in the case.

In the 1958 The Rank Organisation film adaptation, Charles Darnay is portrayed by Paul Guers.

In the 2008 Broadway musical/play adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Darnay is played by Aaron Lazar.