Charles II King of England and Scotland from 1660 Date of Birth: 29.05.1630 Country: Great Britain

King Charles II of England and Scotland

King Charles II of England and Scotland, the eldest son of Charles I and Henrietta of France, ascended to the throne in 1660. During the 1640s, he resided on the continent with his mother and brothers, where he was educated by Edward Hyde. After his father's execution in 1649, he was recognized as his lawful successor by Scotland. In 1650, he arrived in Scotland and was crowned there, but Cromwell's troops invaded and defeated the Scottish supporters of Charles in 1651. He went into hiding in England for some time, with a huge reward offered for his capture, and eventually fled to France. He returned to England after the restoration organized by General Monk and ascended the throne on his thirtieth birthday (May 29, 1660). Following the advice of Hyde, his first minister, he granted amnesty to all members of his father and Cromwell's governments, except those who had voted for his father's execution. The surviving participants in the trial of Charles I were executed, and the bodies, including the remains of Oliver Cromwell himself, were exhumed, hanged, and quartered. He entrusted the governance of the country to an oligarchic group of five individuals (known as the Cabal ministry, named after the initials of their surnames). Charles II's reign is evaluated in conflicting ways: some historians consider him a weak and reactionary king, while others regard him as one of Britain's most outstanding sovereigns. During his reign, the separation of powers between the king and parliament was established, and the Tory and Whig political parties formed. The most significant political event of his reign was the enactment of the Habeas Corpus Act (1679). England experienced economic prosperity and territorial expansion in its colonies. Towards the end of his reign, his unpopular younger brother, the Catholic Duke of York, concentrated increasing political power in his own hands. Just a few days before his death, Charles II also converted to Catholicism.

Known as the "Merry King," Charles II had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children (he acknowledged fourteen of them) and bestowed ducal and earl titles on both his lovers and their children, significantly increasing the peerage of Great Britain. However, he did not leave any legitimate offspring from his marriage to Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of John IV of Portugal. After the king's death, his brother, the Duke of York, ascended to the throne as James II. One of Charles II's bastards, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, staged a rebellion and proclaimed himself king after his father's death. However, he was defeated and executed on the orders of his uncle.