So, in 1662, Charles II Stuart married Catherine, Infanta of Portugal. This marriage turned out to be childless, which is why, after the death of Charles II, his throne was inherited by his only brother, the Duke of York, who ascended the throne of Great Britain under the name James II.
Unfortunately, James II, a devout Catholic, was a man wholly devoted to the interests of the Roman Catholic Church (papacy), and all the efforts of Charles II to force him to change his beliefs came to nothing. In turn, the English Parliament made every effort to convince Charles II of the need to change his last will and deprive his brother of the right of succession to the throne on the grounds that a Catholic king was as unacceptable to Great Britain as a Protestant king was to France or Spain.
However, Charles II, who doted on his brother and tried by all means to delay the resolution of the issue, was very successful in this and died calmly, without giving consent to such an act. Therefore, no one could resist the proclamation of James II as king and his accession to the throne of Great Britain.
Dreaming of the return of the papacy, James II appointed a papist professor at Oxford, openly received the papal legate, persuaded several of his papists to convert to Catholicism, and also intended to cancel the measures directed against the papists, in other words, he committed actions that caused discontent and murmur among the people. It should be noted that during the period of exile, Charles II had a son, who was named James and given the title of Duke of Monmouth. This James, objecting to being considered a bastard or illegitimate son, in view of Charles II.'s promise to marry his mother, laid claim to the English throne. Gathering a small force, in 1685 he landed on the west coast of England and proclaimed himself king. Having suffered, however, defeat at the very first clash with the royal troops, he was captured, taken to the Tower and a few days later publicly beheaded on Tower Hill, which greatly contributed to strengthening the position of the king, who was ready to implement the Roman policy with even greater firmness. -Catholic Church.
The wife of James II, Queen Mary, from the Modena family, did not please him for a long time with the appearance of an heir. Finally, on June 10, 1688, the queen was successfully resolved by the prince, whom the king named James, granting him the title of Prince of Wales. The king notified all those in power in neighboring states about the joyful event, causing rejoicing among the papists, who believed that the time was not far off when Great Britain would return to the fold of the Catholic Church. The endless stream of congratulations addressed to the royal couple, at first glance, was encouraging: it seemed that all the English were happy to consider the newborn prince as their future ruler. In reality, the most vile fakes were spread, containing speculation about the prince’s belated birth. In order to suppress such misunderstandings, on October 27, 1688, the king ordered all courtiers who were present in the palace during the birth to appear in order to certify the birth of a son, whom he, James II, considered his legal heir.
From his first marriage, the king had two daughters, raised in the traditions of the Anglican Church. The eldest, Maria, born in 1662, married William, Prince of Orange in 1677, and the youngest, Anna, born in 1664, married George, Prince of Denmark in 1683. William, Prince of Orange, born in 1650, the son of Mary, daughter of the beheaded King Charles I, could rightfully lay claim to the English throne, so some lords and princes of the church, having entered into secret negotiations with him, conveyed to him the news of the danger threatening England of falling again under the influence of the Pope, while expressing unequivocal concern about the illegal deprivation of William's inheritance rights to the British crown. William of Orange, instantly realizing what they were getting at, turned for help to the united provinces of the Netherlands, who immediately equipped him with a navy, and already in November 1688 the prince departed from the Dutch harbor, initially heading north to send the spies on the wrong trail , and only then turned to the west, towards the strait. For some time the flotilla moved along the English coast in the same direction, while dispatches were constantly sent from all English ports in London with messages about the passage of the Dutch fleet. There was no way for couriers to get into the city without passing the Great London Bridge, which is why the bridge was crowded both with couriers following almost one after another, and with curious townspeople greedy for news. The size of William of Orange's flotilla easily convinced the Londoners of the pointlessness of any resistance on the part of James II, which is why they decided to make every effort to prevent an armed conflict. Similar work was carried out in the army of King James, where a decision was made to refuse to assist him in the fight against the prince, who landed in the west of England and headed straight towards London. Abandoned by everyone, James the Second sent the queen and her six-month-old child to France, and then he himself followed them.
The flight of the king gave Parliament the opportunity to declare that the king had abdicated the throne, and on February 13, 1689, the Prince of Orange was proclaimed king of Great Britain under the name of William III. The people did not hide their joy. Bonfires blazed in the city, on which the jubilant crowd, with wild gloating, burned images of the Pope and the Jesuit Petersen, confessor and adviser to James II. Nostradamus mentions this in the 80th quatrain of the 3rd century:
"The unworthy will be expelled from the English throne,
His advisor will be thrown into the fire out of gloating:
His supporters will act so cleverly
That Bastard will be half approved.”
As for the expression “Unworthy” (as Nostradamus calls King James II), it should be noted that this expression occurs in the first centuries editions published in France, but in later editions and, especially those published in England, instead of “Unworthy” the expression “Worthy” appeared. By the way, the poetic meter allows for both, according to the assessment of the king by different parties: the most worthy of all contenders for the throne, from the point of view of the papists, James II remained unworthy for the Protestants.
Let us turn to the 89th quatrain of the 4th century:
“The armed militia of London entered into a secret conspiracy
During an exchange of views on the bridge regarding the enterprise being prepared against their king,
His satellites will taste death,
Another king will be elected, blond, originally from Frisia.”
Born on November 14, 1650 in The Hague, King William came from a province called Holland, or West Frisia. In his youth, he may have had blond hair, but there may also be an allusion to his name (Guillaume is spelled "Guillaume" in French). As for the unfortunate companions of King James II, everyone who became papists to please him had to, following his sad example, leave England and emigrate to Ireland, where, as a result of a bloody war, they were finally broken by King William, and most of them cost a life. James II managed to escape this time too; he went to France, where he died in September 1701. And six months later, on March 8, 1702, King William also passed away after him. Thus, none of the Protestant descendants of the beheaded King Charles I remained alive, with the exception of Princess Anne, who was at that time married to George, Prince of Denmark, and who was immediately proclaimed Queen of Great Britain.
Her only son, William, Duke of Gloucester, who showed the most brilliant hopes, to everyone's surprise, died suddenly in his eleventh year on July 30, 1700, i.e. three years before this event. The death of his son prompted the then living King William to show commendable concern for preserving the right of succession to the throne for the Protestant line of the Stuart dynasty, forever excluding the papists from it. Thus, on March 22, 1701, Parliament passed a law according to which, in the event of the extinction of the line of Charles and the Protestant line of King James I, in the absence of direct heirs of William and Anna, the throne of Great Britain would be inherited by representatives of the line of Elizabeth in the person of Elizabeth’s then still living daughter, Sophia, Elector Brunswick, Luneburg and Hanover with all its descendants, considered as the nearest and legitimate heirs of the British crown.
Thus, this legal succession along the Protestant line was subsequently once again confirmed
Parliament during the reign of Queen Anne, in particular in 1707, when England and Scotland were solemnly transformed into a single state with a single parliament, the adopted order of succession was legally assigned to Elector Sophia and her direct descendants. Note that Elector Sophia, granddaughter of King James I and mother of King George I, who died in May 1714 in her eighty-fourth year, shortly before the death of Queen Anne, was born on October 13, 1630 in The Hague (Holland or West Frisia), in other words in the same place as King William, a Frisian by birth. Thus, Nostradamus’s prediction was fulfilled twice: the first time in the person of the king, and the second time in the person of the one whom he appointed as his heir.
Note that England, a country where the right of succession to the throne is regulated by the law of inheritance, twice found itself in such a crisis that Parliament, seeing no other way out, was forced to make a decision to legislate the right to the British crown (indicating a specific person) behind the Protestant line, setting religious affiliation as the main condition.
Quatrains, centuries and prophecies of Nostradamus about the events of world history
Charles II (1630-1685) is the most loving of the English monarchs, which is why he takes an honorable first place in our ranking. Charles often kept several mistresses at the same time, both noble birth and commoners. We can say that class prejudices were alien to him. Charles II had 14 recognized illegitimate children, but not a single child born in a legal wedlock.
Charles's first official mistress was Lucy Walters, whom he met in 1648 in The Hague. He fell in love with her at first sight, but he did not achieve reciprocity right away. Shortly after Carl and Lucy moved in together, she announced her pregnancy. In 1649, the favorite gave birth to Charles's son, Jacob (the first Duke of Monmouth), who subsequently, after Charles's death, tries to claim his rights to the throne, claiming that Walters and Charles were secretly married, but his rebellion was suppressed.
At the end of the 1640s. Charles had a short affair with his mother's maid of honor Elizabeth Killigrew, Viscountess Shannon, which resulted in the birth of Charlotte Jemima Henrietta Maria Fitzroy (1650). While in exile, Charles also had a relationship with Catherine Pegge, who gave birth to a son, Charles (1st Duke of Plymouth), in 1657, and a daughter, Catherine, a few years later. This hobby of Charles did not last long, and in 1667 Catherine Pegge was married to Sir Edward Greene.
At this time, Charles was already in love with Barbara Palmer, the first Duchess of Cleveland, a famous courtesan of the time. Their romance began in 1660, and after the Restoration, Charles returned to England, accompanied by Palmer, who had already acquired a bad reputation due to her quarrelsome character, greed and exorbitant love of luxury. During the four years (1661 - 1665) that Barbara was the king's favorite, she bore him five children: Anne (Countess of Sussex), Charles (2nd Duke of Cleveland), Henry (1st Duke of Grafton), Charlotte (Countess of Lichfield) and George ( 1st Duke of Northumberland). Henry of Grafton is an ancestor of Lady Diana Spencer. Karl recognized all of Barbara's children as his own. He wasn't so sure about the others. All the pretty women who appeared at the English court eventually became the king's mistresses. It was considered completely incredible that a woman who attracted Charles would dare to evade the royal favor.
Winifred Wells was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine, and from 1662 also a favorite of Charles II, although she never had much influence over him. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Wells’s posture resembled a goddess, and her eyes resembled a dozing sheep. According to rumors, she was pregnant by the king, but lost the child right during the New Year's ball in the palace in the presence of the entire court. By 1673, Charles had completely lost interest in her, and Wells was married to Thomas Wyndham.
Frances Stewart deserves special attention, who became Charles’ mistress in 1663. The king, his brother James and Charles Stewart’s cousin, the Duke of Richmond, were all in love with her at the same time. Stewart cohabited with all three so that no one would be offended. In addition to three admirers from the royal family, her lovers were: Buckingham, Mondeville, Carlington and Digby, who committed suicide out of love for her. Stewart gave birth to a daughter from Karl, Rebecca Stewart, whose existence was kept secret for a long time. Having learned that Francis was cheating on him with the Duke of Richmond, the angry king sent him to the Tower, where he spent almost a month. Immediately after their release, Richmond and Francis Stewart fled and got married in secret. Charles II was not angry with the traitor for long, then he took steps towards reconciliation, and the Duchess of Richmond, his young wife, again found herself in the arms of her lover, assuring the king of unfailing fidelity and, on occasion, robbing him. The Duke of Richmond died in 1670, and Frances survived him by thirty years.
Mary Davis was one of the first dramatic actresses (before Charles II in English theaters, female roles in plays were played by young men and sometimes by adult men) and a famous courtesan of the time. Charles became interested in her in 1667, and in 1669 she gave birth to a daughter, Lady Mary Tudor. Soon after this, Karl lost interest in her, replacing Mary with another actress, Nell Gwynne. As a child, Nell sold fish, then sang on the street and in taverns, until she was noticed by the actors of the royal theater, where she caught the eye of Lord Dorset, who took her into his custody. Charles II, having given him a position at the embassy in France, lured the beauty to him for an annual fee of 500 pounds sterling. Four years later this salary increased to 60,000. Nell and Charles had two sons: Charles (1670) and James (1671). It is noteworthy that the king sympathized with Nell until his death in 1685 and, thanks to her concerns, patronized the theater. Theater artists, by order of Charles II, were called courtiers and were included in the public service.
Nell's place in the royal bed was taken by Louise Rene de Keroual, Duchess of Porsmouth, a Brittany noblewoman whose family descended almost from the Druids. Louise had no end to her admirers, but she was so smart and knew her worth that all the efforts of the court ladies' men to win the beauty's heart were in vain. But this impregnable fortress fell before Charles II. In 1670, Louise became the king's official favorite, and his passion for her grew day by day. Blinded by love, he left his former favorites, forgot about his wife and public debt. In 1672 Louise gave Charles a son, Charles Lennox (1st Duke of Richmond). Clever Louise tried to persuade Charles in favor of his native France, which earned him the hatred of the British. The descendants of Charles and the Duchess of Porsmouth are Sarah, Duchess of York, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the late Princess Diana.
Hortense Mancini, Duchess of Mazarin - the fourth of the five famous Mancini sisters - nieces of Cardinal Mazarin, mistress of the French king Louis XIV. Having escaped from her oppressive husband (Armand-Charles de la Porte, duc de la Meyerie), Hortense traveled throughout Europe, having affairs with both men and women. In 1676, she supplanted Louise de Keroual in the heart of the king. Charles II gave Hortense an allowance of 4 thousand pounds a year and personally took care of her financial affairs, in particular the return of jewelry left in France. It is noteworthy that when Hortense was 13 years old (in 1659), Charles II, then still an exiled king, asked for her hand. But Hortense's guardian, Cardinal Mazarin, refused Charles II this request. But Hortense was not the king's favorite for long - she seduced Anna Fitzroy, Charles's daughter from Barbara Palmer. The apotheosis of this relationship was the fencing match between Hortense and Anna in St. James's Park. The ladies were dressed only in negligees. Anne's husband, Earl of Sussex, was outraged and sent his wife to the provinces. In addition, being the favorite of Charles II, Hortense started an affair with Louis I de Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, who arrived on a visit to London. The king flared up and even ordered to stop paying Hortense a pension, but after a few days he cooled down and reversed his decision regarding Hortense’s maintenance. This was the end of their relationship, Karl returned to Louise de Keroual. Hortense retained all the benefits granted by the king, her house and her old way of life. Charles II and Hortense remained friends, and Barbara Palmer again took the place of the favorite. Little is known about Charles II's other mistresses; among them were the clergyman's daughter Jane Roberts, the famous singer Mrs. Knight, Countess of Falmouth Elizabeth Berkeley and Christabella Wyndham, Charles' wet nurse. According to unverified reports, Charles was also in a relationship with Countess Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Lady Mary Sackville.
Charles II Stuart - King of England, Scotland and Ireland, the eldest son of Charles I and Mary Henrietta of Bourbon, was born in London on May 29, 1630. As heir to the throne, he bore the title of Prince of Wales, and was raised by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
During the English bourgeois revolution of 1640-1653, he hid in the north of the country, in 1646 he fled to Holland, then to France. After the execution of his father, he accepted the royal title and, having made a number of concessions to the Presbyterians, received the support of the royalists in Ireland and Scotland, however, having suffered defeat at Dunbar (1650) and Worcester (1651), he was forced to emigrate.
Came to power as a result of a coup d'etat carried out by General George Monk. In April 1660, he signed the Declaration of Breda on amnesty for all participants in the revolution, the preservation of civil liberties and the confirmation of basic constitutional acts that largely limited the prerogatives of royal power; he returned to England on May 25, 1660 on the initiative of the “Convention Parliament”, which returned the royal domains, and also part of the lands sequestered from the aristocracy.
Despite the fact that Charles II was indifferent to church disputes, during this period the clerical reaction began to intensify, which was facilitated by the election of the Long Parliament of the Restoration (1661-1679), which was initially loyal to the new regime, which approved the Clarendon Code (1661), the Act on conformism" (1662), the censorship charter and a number of other bills aimed at restoring the primacy of the Anglican Church. This trend was supported by the Lord Chancellor Edward Hyde (1660-1667), Earl of Clarendon, who had long enjoyed the king's confidence, undermined by the intrigues of the opposition, which considered him to be responsible for the defeat of the British fleet in the Anglo-Dutch War of 1664-1667, caused by rival trading campaigns. After his fall, a group of members of the Privy Council came to power, which was called the “bonded ministry” (1667-1674) after the first letters of the surnames of its participants (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale).
Charles II's foreign policy was extremely inconsistent. Initially, he headed for rapprochement with Portugal and France, to which he sold Dunkirk, conquered by Cromwell (1662), then tried to take advantage of the contradictions between France, Holland and Spain, which resulted in the “Triple Alliance” consisting of England, Holland and Sweden (1668-1670) , directed against the expansionist aspirations of Louis XIV.
The attempt of the House of Commons to limit the king's competence with the "Triennial Act" regulating the frequency of convening of Parliament, establishing the responsibility of ministers and control over the expenses of the royal court, forced Charles II to conclude the Treaty of Dover on subsidies with France (1670) and issue the "Declaration of Toleration" (1672) in relation to to Catholics, which led to the adoption by Parliament of the “Act of Oath” (1673). The internal crisis was aggravated by the new Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674), as a result of which the “bonded ministry” collapsed, and some of its representatives went over to the opposition. For four years, the government was headed by Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby, a supporter of the Protestants, who preferred not to aggravate relations with Catholics, on whose side the king’s younger brother, the Duke of York, openly sided. However, an assassination attempt on Charles II, discovered in August 1678, provoked increased anti-Catholic tendencies, which led to the dissolution of Parliament in January 1679.
In the new parliament, the Whig party, led by Anthony Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury, won the victory, representing the interests of the big bourgeoisie and advocating expanding the jurisdiction of parliament. He managed to achieve the passage of the Civil Rights Act, arrest the Earl of Danby and expel the Duke of York, but when he attempted to deprive him of the right to inherit the throne, Charles II again dissolved Parliament. In 1680-1681, he dispersed two opposition parliaments and, having suppressed the Cameronian uprising in Scotland, took repressive measures against his opponents, taking advantage of the Ryhouse Conspiracy of 1683, some of its participants were executed, and the rest were expelled from the country. During this period, Charles II was supported by the Tory party, which united the conservative aristocracy and clergy, which allowed him to do without convening parliament. After some cooling in the late 70s, he entered into an agreement with Louis XIV (1684), according to which he pledged not to interfere with his conquests in exchange for financial compensation in the amount of 2.5 million livres.
He died in London on February 18, 1685 from apoplexy, leaving several illegitimate sons who received ducal titles (Grafton, Richmond, Monmouth, etc.). His marriage to Catherine of Portugal, concluded in 1662, turned out to be childless.
Charles II was the organizer of the Royal Society, patronized the arts, and promoted the development of trade.
Charles II 1630-1685
The son and namesake of Charles I was in many ways the opposite of his father. The charming bon vivant turned out to be a clever politician who not only managed to regain the throne lost by the Stuarts, but also turn England into a country that began to be reckoned with in Europe.
Charles was the second but eldest surviving child of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. He was born in London, at St. James's Palace, on May 29, 1630. His childhood was spent among a steadily increasing number of brothers and sisters in suburban residences, mainly in Richmond and Hampton Court.
The deteriorating relations of Charles I with his subjects very quickly affected the fate of the young prince. At first, parliament, dissatisfied with the training of the future monarch, demanded that his tutor be replaced. Then, when an open conflict broke out between the king and his opponents.
Karl accompanied his father for a long time to the next royalist camps. When the scales began to tip towards parliament, the king decided that the prince should go to France. The son initially refused, but in the spring of 1646 he eventually joined his mother, who was at the court of her nephew Louis XIV.
When the Scots first captured Charles I and handed him over to the English Parliament, and later decided to support the king, it was his eldest son who was invited to lead Scotland's invasion of England in May 1648. At this time, young Charles moved from France to The Hague, where he began to form troops, at the head of which he could return to the country to support the royalist uprising, and negotiated with Scottish envoys. However, both ventures ended in failure.
King Charles II Stuart. John Michael Wright. XVII century... National Portrait Gallery, UK
Charles I with his children: Mary, James II and Charles II. 17th century, private collection
The situation changed dramatically after the trial and execution of Charles I in January 1649. The prince became King Charles II and began new preparations for a war to regain power. He resumed negotiations with the Scots, who, upon hearing of the beheading of Charles I, proclaimed Charles II as their new monarch; he also began to actively seek international support for his claim to the throne - his diplomats arrived in most European courts, even in Russia, asking for financial and political assistance for their monarch. In June 1650, Charles landed in Scotland, but he still could not come to an agreement with some of the local politicians. Despite the difficult situation (Cromwell's victory at Dunbar on September 3, 1650), he managed to prevent English occupation, and on January 1, 1651, he ascended to the throne of Scotland.
Over the next months, both sides prepared for the decisive battle. As a result, in September, in the battle of Worcester, the army of the Republic defeated the Stuart supporters, and Charles was forced to flee. For several weeks he hid in England, transferred by his supporters from one hiding place to another: in the ruins of old monasteries, in private houses, in barns and even in an oak tree that was empty in the middle. He managed to survive, despite the high reward placed on his head and the danger that threatened the people hiding him. The severity of his situation was aggravated by his high height (about 190 cm), because of which he was easy to recognize. However, in the end, Charles, dressed as a simple servant, managed to reach the coast and cross to Normandy.
The following years passed under the sign of endless and fruitless attempts to create an international coalition that could defeat Cromwell and return the monarch to England. Neither the Anglo-Dutch (1652–1654) nor the Anglo-Spanish (1655–1660) wars served this purpose. True, Charles managed to form several regiments, which, under his leadership, fought on the side of the Spaniards in Flanders, but this enterprise ended in defeat at the Battle of Dunkirk (June 1658).
However, within a few months the situation changed dramatically: first Oliver Cromwell died, then France and Spain began peace negotiations, and in the end power in England passed to General George Monck, who convened the so-called Long Parliament, dissolved by Cromwell. In the spring of 1660, events began to unfold with kaleidoscopic speed: Monk entered into an agreement with Charles, who was in the Netherlands all this time, and on April 4 he issued the Declaration of Breda, in which he declared amnesties for supporters of the Republic and guaranteed the inviolability of their property. On April 25, a new parliament met, and on May 1, the restoration of the monarchy was announced. On May 29, 1660, Charles II triumphantly entered London, greeted by crowds of his subjects.
The monarch had no illusions about his reign. He was aware of the deep split in society and, probably, that is why in the first years of power he pursued a rather moderate policy.
CHARLES II'S MOTHER, HENRIETTA MARIA OF BOURBON, WAS VERY DISLIKED IN ENGLAND. SO IN 1644 SHE AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE FORCED TO ESCAPE TO SAVE HER AND THEIR LIVES. HER HUSBAND, CHARLES I, WAS LESS LUCKY: HIS HEAD WAS CUT OFF IN 1649.
Silver pocket watch of Oliver Cromwell, 17th century, Ashmolen Museum, Oxford, UK
Instead of looking for ways to take revenge on the opponents of his father (this, however, did not apply to those who signed the death warrant for Charles I - they were forced to flee, and those who were captured were executed), the king first of all tried to create a strong army, developed economy and tried to achieve relative balance on the political scene.
In 1662, feeling the need to give the country an heir to the throne, the king married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The new queen was a Catholic, which caused discontent among her subjects, but unlike Henrietta Maria, she did not show any particular political ambitions. The marriage was not very successful: Karl was known as a connoisseur of female beauty and in the past was famous for his passionate affairs, the fruit of which were many illegitimate children. Catherine, in turn, could not be called a beauty. The monarch himself made it clear to his courtiers that he was dissatisfied with the appearance of his bride, after their first meeting he exclaimed: “Gentlemen, instead of a wife you brought me a bat!” The Queen became pregnant several times, but each time it ended in miscarriage. Charles tried to treat his wife with respect and provide her with decent conditions, which, however, did not stop him from trying to make her the first maid of honor to Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine, his most famous mistress and the mother of at least five of his children.
Later, the king spared no effort to strengthen England's position in the international arena and improve the economic situation in the country. Not all of his undertakings were successful: the first war with Holland, which he waged, despite the return of New Amsterdam (now New York), can hardly be called successful. At the same time, the strengthening of, for example, the position of the East India Company laid the foundations for later British dominance in this region.
In matters of domestic policy, Karl had to look for solutions to several difficult problems. One of them was religion: some of his subjects believed that the king’s policy in matters of religion I was too tolerant towards Catholics. Added to this was the problem of succession to the throne. When it became obvious that Charles would probably not have a legitimate heir, his pro-Catholic younger brother, James, Duke of York, became his successor. The situation worsened after the outbreak of anti-Catholic hysteria associated with the Papist Plot (1678). Charles, trying to maintain social balance, first sent Jacob to the continent and then to Scotland, after which he took control of the upbringing of his daughters in the Protestant faith.
The king's relationship with parliament remained tense, even despite the support of some politicians who, for example, protested against attempts to change the law on succession to the throne and exclude James from being the heir. It was revealed several times that attempts were being made on the king's life. However, the fact remains that despite the political turmoil, the king was popular among the people. One of the descriptions of his visit to Newmarket (still a famous riding center) reads: “The King had a wonderful time there, being a lover of the entertainment for which the place is famous. Despite his position, he behaved like one of the many gentlemen who came there. He did not shy away from people, talked to everyone who wanted to talk to him, went falconry in the morning, attended cockfights during the day (if there were no races), and in the evenings watched performances by a troupe of traveling magicians in the barn...”
Portrait of little Charles II with a dog. Anthony van Dyck, 17th century, private collection
CHARLES II WAS FAMOUS FOR HIS LOVE ADVENTURES. HE HAD MANY ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN. HIS MOVERS WERE, AMONG OTHERS, CATHERINE PEGGE, LADY GREEN, NOBLEESS LUCY WALTER, ELIZABETH KILLIGREW II LOUISE RENEE DE KEROUAL, DUCHESS OF PORTSMOUTH.
During Charles's reign, London was devastated by two disasters: the plague in the summer of 1665 and the Great Fire in September 1666. The capital was able to rebuild quite quickly, also thanks to the monarch, who made every effort to restore the palaces and houses of ordinary residents. True, due to significant financial constraints, the king was unable to completely rebuild the city center, but he contributed significantly to the creation of the most familiar work of European architecture, designed by Christopher Wren - the majestic St. Paul's Cathedral. Another achievement of the king was the founding of the world's most famous scientific association, the Royal Scientific Society.
Charles II's entry into Whitehall in 1660. Alfred Barron Clay, Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, UK, Lancashire
Tired of political disputes and the tense situation in the country, as well as not the healthiest lifestyle. Karl began to complain of feeling unwell. He died suddenly on February 6, 1685, at the age of 54, most likely from hemorrhage.
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From the author's bookKarl 1815. After success - loneliness. The Congress of Vienna continued until June, guided by the firm hand of Metternich, who was opposed by the clever Talleyrand, who managed to avoid the highest humiliation for France. In the midst of the festivities set by the Austrian court, Beethoven
Charles II.
Reproduction from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Charles II (29.V.1630 - 6.II.1685) - king since 1660 from the Stuart dynasty. Son of Charles I. Since 1646, after the defeat of the royalists in the 1st Civil War (see English bourgeois revolution of the 17th century), he emigrated to France, then to Holland. After the execution of Charles I (1649), he was proclaimed king (in February 1649) by the Scottish Presbyterian Parliament. He made an attempt to turn Scotland into a stronghold for English royalists, but was defeated by Cromwell at Dunbar (September 1650) and Worcester (September 1651). Once again in exile, he developed diplomatic activities hostile to revolutionary England. In May 1660, English was proclaimed. parliament by the king (on the condition of fulfilling the Declaration of Breda, April 1660) and returned to London; The Stuart restoration was the result of a conspiracy of the bourgeoisie and gentry with emigrant counter-revolutionary royalist circles. Despite the promise to govern in accordance with parliament, he introduced a regime of political reaction and counter-revolutionary terror, religious persecution in the country, and subordinated foreign policy to the interests of France.
Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 7. KARAKEEV - KOSHAKER. 1965.
Charles II
Charles II Stuart
Charles II Stuart
Years of life: May 29, 1630 - February 6, 1685
Reign: May 29, 1660 - February 6, 1685
Father: Charles I
Mother: Henrietta Maria of France
Wife: Ekaterina of Portugal
had no legitimate children
Illegitimate children
Sons: James Crofts, Charles Fitzcharles, Charles Fitzroy, Henry Fitzroy, George Fitzroy, Charles Beauclerk, James Beauclerk, Charles Lennox, Winifred Wells
Daughters: Mary Crofts, Charlotte Gemina Henrietta Maria Boyle, Catherine Fitzcharles, Anne Palmer, Charlotte Fitzroy, Barbara (Benedicta) Fitzroy, Mary Tudor, Hortense Mancini, Jane Roberts, Mary Sackville, Elizabeth Fitzgerald
At the very beginning of the revolution, the young Charles was transported to Holland and placed in the care of William of Orange. Having matured, Charles became the leader of the royalists and began to fight against the republic. In 1649 he led a rebellion in Ireland, and a year later in Scotland, but unsuccessfully. After the suppression of the uprising, Charles fled to France with great difficulty. After the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, the republic was headed by his son Richard, but a year later he resigned and power passed to General Monck. Fearing anarchy, he occupied London and returned to parliament the deputies expelled from it in 1648. Thus, moderate parliamentarians gained a majority over the radical independents. Parliament repealed all its acts passed after 1648, including the bill abolishing the monarchy and the House of Lords, and dissolved itself. After the elections, the royalists had a majority in the new parliament. Monk entered into negotiations with Charles and declared that he was ready to obey his orders. On May 25, 1660, Charles landed in England, and 4 days later he solemnly entered London. On the same day he approved the Magna Carta, the Petitions of Rights and the Statute of Parliament's power to impose taxes. An amnesty was declared for everyone who declared their allegiance to the monarchy within 40 days. The amnesty did not affect only the judges who sentenced Charles I. Some of the regicides were executed, others received life imprisonment.
The new king had very broad views, was free from religious prejudices, and was interested in natural science, mechanics and navigation. Karl was not afraid of communicating with people; he often appeared in public places and talked with commoners.
As long as the moderate party dominated in parliament, he showed religious tolerance. However, after the victory of the Episcopalians in the elections in 1661, Charles began persecuting the Presbyterians. Censorship was introduced, all newspapers except official ones were banned, and discussion of political issues was prohibited. This continued as long as the parliament, obedient to the king, acted. After the elections of 1679, liberals prevailed in parliament. Censorship was abolished and a law “on individual freedom” was adopted, protecting citizens from unjustified arrests. By this time, the English parliamentary system had finally taken shape and two parties were formed - the Tories (unconditional supporters of the king and the Church of England, expressing the interests of the rural population and landowners) and the Whigs (they were in opposition to the king, recognized the importance of trade, the development of navigation and preached religious tolerance). In 1681, Charles dissolved parliament and ruled alone until his death.
From Charles's foreign policy, it should be noted the First and Second Dutch Wars, which ended in the complete defeat of the English fleet and the capture of the English flagship "King Charles" as a trophy. In 1662, Charles married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, receiving as a dowry Portuguese possessions in India, which were soon transferred to the management of the British East India Company.
Karl was rather ugly, but had elegant manners, a sharp tongue, loved merry drinking parties and was constantly surrounded by women. Not a single beauty who appeared at court remained without his attention. Some of his favorites managed to achieve a fairly high position at court. So the Frenchwoman Louise Keroual received the title of Duchess of Portsmouth and had much greater influence on state affairs than the queen, effectively becoming a mediator in concluding an alliance between England and France. At the same time, the king had many affairs with women of the lower classes. The abundance of love affairs did not bring him popularity in a country where Puritan traditions were strong. He openly neglected his wife, by no means an ugly woman, but a very modest woman who received a strict monastic upbringing, and, having about 14 illegitimate children recognized by him, never acquired a legal heir.
In February 1685, the king suffered from apoplexy and a few days later, having asked the courtiers for forgiveness in his characteristic manner for having tired them with his agony, Charles died. Before his death, he secretly confessed to a Catholic priest, who was brought by his younger brother Jacob, who inherited Charles.
Material used from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Charles II - King of England and Scotland from the Stuart dynasty, who ruled in 1660 - 1685 gg. Son Charles I and Henrietta of France.
Wife: since 1662 Catherine, daughter of King John IV of Portugal (b. 1638 + 1705).
At the very beginning of the revolution, the young Charles was taken to Holland into the care of William of Orange. After the execution of his father, he became the leader of the royalists and for several years waged a stubborn war against the English Republic. So, in 1649 he led the dissatisfied in Ireland, and the following year he became the head of the Scottish rebels. Both of these wars were unsuccessful for Charles. On September 3, at the Battle of Donber, Cromwell defeated his army and occupied Edinburgh. In 1651, Charles suffered another crushing defeat at Worcester. Almost all of his companions were captured, and he himself was exposed to many dangers. Once, hiding from his pursuers, he spent the whole day in the dense branches of an oak tree. Finally, after many ordeals. Karl was able to board the ship and crossed to France. While Cromwell was alive, the Stuarts had no hope of returning to power. But after the death of the protector, when General Monck began to play a leading role in the army, they had hope. At the beginning of 1660, Monk occupied London with his army. Soon the members of the Long Parliament, expelled from its membership in December 1648, were reintroduced to the House of Commons. From then on, the moderate party had a majority and an advantage in all decisions. In March, she passed a law dissolving the Long Parliament and declaring illegal all its regulations adopted after 1648. Thus, the bill was repealed, abolishing the monarchy and the House of Lords. In April, Monck entered into secret negotiations with Charles, who was then in Brussels, and announced that he was ready to obey the royal orders. Meanwhile, elections to a new parliament were held in England, in which the royalists had a predominant influence. In May, the House of Commons passed legislation transferring power to Charles II. On May 25, Charles landed at Dover, where Monk met him, and four days later he solemnly entered the capital. On the same day he approved the Magna Carta, the Petitions of Rights and the Statute of Parliament's power to impose taxes. The king announced that he would grant pardon to all who, within the next forty days, declared their loyalty to the monarchy. However, the judges who sentenced Charles I to death were excluded from the general amnesty.
The new king was an ugly and unsympathetic man, but he had an intelligent and expressive face, and possessed great personal charm and graceful manners. He was free from many of the religious prejudices inherent in his ancestors, had free and fairly broad views, and was interested in natural science, mechanics and navigation. His main drawback was his inability to work hard: he was always afraid of menial work and limited his participation in management only to outlining a political course, and entrusting its development and implementation to others. Karl was not afraid of communicating with people: he boldly appeared in crowded places, at city festivals, mixed with the crowd and easily talked with commoners. Every day he took part in cheerful drinking parties and outrages organized by his high-society drinking companions, was constantly surrounded by frivolous women, jesters and inveterate wits, loved bold witticisms and apt answers, he himself was an inexhaustible talker, knew an abyss of all kinds of jokes and loved to tell them.
The king was considered a great lover and connoisseur of beautiful women. His love affairs began at a very early age, and he had his first illegitimate child at the age of 16. Then he had a lot of such children. Cromwell's spies, who followed Charles in his wanderings across Europe, gladly reported on his novels. After the restoration, Charles returned to England, accompanied by his official mistress, Barbara Palmer. Not overly jealous, he shared her with many of his friends. Karl recognized Barbara's four children as his own. He wasn't so sure about the others. All the pretty women who appeared at the English court eventually became the king's mistresses. It was considered completely incredible that a woman who attracted Charles would dare to evade the royal favor. The queen had a pretty face, but, brought up in the monastic strictures of the rules, she did not know how to shine, she was shy, and therefore her husband openly neglected her. From 1671, Louise Kerualle, a Frenchwoman by birth, who came to London in the retinue of Charles's sister Henrietta of Orleans, became Charles's favorite. At the English court, she almost openly played the role of diplomatic agent of the French king. Her efforts should be largely credited with strengthening the Anglo-French alliance. She had enormous influence on all matters, and her apartments were more luxurious than those of the queen. In 1673, Louise received the title of Duchess of Portsmouth. The king granted the title of Duke of Richmond to his son from her. Not limiting himself to the ladies of the court, the king had many affairs with women of the lower classes and especially with actresses. In England, where Puritan traditions were very strong, these scandalous adventures did not bring popularity to the king. Despite his debauchery, Karl was a good politician. He lacked neither personal courage nor a clear understanding of political interests. While the parliament of supporters of the moderate party, which invited the king, was sitting. Charles adhered to a policy of religious tolerance. But after the followers of the Anglican Episcopal Church won the elections in 1661, a church reaction began. Every member of parliament was obliged to take communion according to the Anglican rite if he did not want to lose his title. Only he could be a pastor who had been ordained by a bishop. By virtue of the Act of Conformity, issued in August 1662, two thousand Presbyterian pastors were expelled from their parishes. In subsequent years, the persecution of Presbyterians intensified. The estates confiscated from them were returned to the royalists. The new censorship regulations prohibited discussion of political issues. Soon all newspapers, except official ones, were banned. The parliament elected in 1662 was so obedient to the king that he vowed not to dissolve it as long as possible. The next elections were held only in 1679 and brought victory to the liberals. After this, the reactionary regime softened significantly. Parliament abolished censorship and restored freedom of speech. A very important law “on individual freedom” was adopted, protecting citizens from arbitrary arrests. At the same time, the English parliamentary system finally took shape and two parties were formed - the Tories (unconditional supporters of the king and the Church of England, expressing the interests of the rural population and landowners) and the Whigs (they were in opposition to the king, recognized the importance of trade, the City of London, the development of navigation and preached religious tolerance). In 1681, Charles dissolved parliament and ruled alone until his death.
On February 11, 1685, the king suffered an apoplexy. When it became clear that his days were numbered, Brother James secretly brought a Catholic priest to the dying man, to whom the king confessed his sins. Before his death, with his characteristic courtesy, he asked forgiveness from the courtiers for having tired them with his death throes.
All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.
Read further:
Literature on British history (lists).
Curriculum for the study of British history (methodology).
Literature:
English bourgeois revolution of the 17th century, vol. 1-2, M., 1 954;
Ogg D., England in the reign of Charles II, v. 1-2, L., 1934.