Another coin to lick the appetite
CHARLES II 1660-1685
Charles II was the son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, was born in 1630. As Prince of Wales
during the Civil War Charles was placed in charge of the west of England and took part in the
Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
After the defeat of the Royalist forces Charles went into exile to the Isles of Scilly. Later he
lived in Jersey and France. In 1649 Charles was proclaimed king of Scotland. He arrived in
Edinburgh but after military defeats by Oliver Cromwell at Dunbar and Worcester, he was
forced to flee back to France.
On 3 September 1658, Oliver Cromwell died. Cromwell had announced that he wanted his son,
Richard Cromwell, to replace him as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, however the
English army was unhappy with this decision. They didn't feel Richard was the man to lead the
country so the generals forced Richard to retire from government.
The army led by General George Monk, invited Charles II back to Britain to become king and
rule the country as long as he agreed to pardon all members of the parliamentary army and
would continue with the Commonwealth's policy of religious toleration. Charles also accepted
that he would share power with Parliament and would not rule as an 'absolute' monarch as his
father had tried to do.
Charles and his wife Catherine of Braganza did not have any children so upon his death on
the 2nd of February 1685 aged 54, his brother James II replaced him as king.
Charles II Crown 1668
Charles II Crown 1671
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