‘God Save The King!’ (Part 2)

I, II, III, Charles…

Charles II, the King of Bling.

If I’m being honest I have to say my introduction to Charles II was from my son, some years ago. He was an avid reader, and a lover of the ‘Horrible Histories’ series!

In the series, there is a wonderful rapping song about Charles, performed by the very funny and talented performer Matthew Baynton, whose catchy, infectious lyrics were endlessly, and often loudly, sung around our house.

Check that out:

‘I love the people
And the people love me
So much that they restored
The English monarchy!
I’m part Scottish, French, Italian
A little bit Dane
But 100% party animal !
Champagne?’

Charles II would affectionately be known as the Merry Monarch!

He was born in May 1630 at Saint James‘s Palace in Westminster, London, and he was the son of the executed Stuart King Charles I, (See ‘God Save The King !’ Part 1) 

He would courageously fight by his father’s side in the English Civil War, and history would record that when advised to retreat from one battle, he cried :

’’I fear them not!’’

All at the grand age of 12 years old.

With the death of his father, executed at Banqueting House, Whitehall (London) on the 30th of January 1649 – at 2pm – Charles was forced to flee and seek refuge in France.

However, it wouldn’t be long before he would try to win back the throne from the clutches of Oliver Cromwell, who had then become ‘Lord protector’, making England a Republic.

Charles would try and win back the throne In 1651, at the ill fated battle of Worcester, which ended in disaster for him. Legend has it, he had to hide in an Oak-tree to avoid capture by the parliamentarian army, before escaping to France again.

In fact, if you are a lover of traditional English pubs, you probably visited at least one called ’the Royal Oak’. It is actually a direct reference to Charles II hiding in the tree!

However, After the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, there was a call to restore the monarchy!

‘’When Olly died, the people said
Charlie, me hearty!
Get rid of his dull laws
Come back, we’d rather party! ’’

Charles was somehow ‘invited’ to come back, and he was welcomed with open arms, albeit with  some limitations to his power, compared to his father’s : he would have to rule closely with Parliament this time…He was crowned King at Westminster Abbey in 1661

‘’This action’s what they called
The monarchy restoration
Which naturally was followed
By a huge celebration!’’

During his reing, Charles reinstated Christmas, theatres, sports, and ladies were allowed once more to wear make-up! This period came to be known as the Restoration.

Charles would prove himself an astute and pragmatic ruler, and he would marry the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. Her dowry was very generous : 2 million Crowns, and the cities of Bombay and Tangier thrown in for good measure.

Some say the marriage was more courteous than passionate, some say that :

‘’She was a love so true
There would never be another
Well… Maybe one or two!‘’

In fact Charles was as fascinated by the ladies as they were to him….

So he had a few many(!)  mistresses, among which : Lucy Walter, Mole Davis, Barbara Villiers and the famous Covent Garden orange seller Nell Gwyn, who became famous for her beauty, and her natural wit as a comedic actress.

It was rumoured the French courtier Louise de Kérouaille, who would at some point (also) catch Charles’s roving eye, was also acting as a spy for the French King Louis XIV.

However, two great catastrophes overshadowed Charles‘s reign : The Great plague of 1665 and The Great Fire of London in 1666, in which Charles himself helped to fight the flames and displayed personal great bravery.

Charles became a great patron of the arts and sciences and during his reign founded the Royal Society – it still exists today, and its current address is in Carlton house Terrace,  the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, and he also founded the Royal Hospital in Chelsea as a home for army pensioners.

Sadly In 1685 , all Charles’s partying and womanising finally caught up with him, and he suffered a stroke at the palace of Whitehall in Westminster. He would pass away at the age of 54.

In a fitting tribute, the famous diarist John Evelyn summed him up as a “a Prince of many virtues and a great many imperfections.’’

‘’I was the merry monarch
They were good old days!
Well said and done!
King Charles did run
England for fun!
He was the king loved by everyone’’

Tony P.