

The English republican government collapsed following Cromwell’s death in 1658, and Charles was reinstated to the throne in 1661. Charles fled to the continent and spent nearly a decade in exile, forced to move from one country to another due to Cromwell’s reach. Inexperienced and untested in battle, Charles led a force into England but was quickly defeated at the Battle of Worcester, in 1651. Supporters in Scotland offered him the throne if he supported home rule.

Charles II fled to France, and Charles I was executed in 1649.ĭuring the 11-year period of Interregnum, Charles was forbidden from being crowned king. By the end of the decade, Parliament, led by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell, was victorious. In 1642, civil war broke out between Parliament and Charles I over his claim of divine right to rule. Two years prior, his father, King Charles I, had reluctantly agreed to the passage of the Petition of Right, which placed limits on the king’s authority. James’s Palace in London, England, on May 29, 1630, signs of political turmoil were on the horizon in England. He converted to Catholicism just before his death in London on February 6, 1685.

His reign marking the Restoration period, Charles was known for his cavorting lifestyle and feuds with Parliament. (1630-1685) Who Was Charles II of England?Īfter the execution of his father, Charles II lived in exile until he was crowned King of England, Ireland and Scotland in 1661.
