The Restoration of Charles II
Many have seen the Restoration of the monarchy, which took place on 29 May 1660, as inevitable. Yet what is most surprising is its unexpectedness.
Charles II
Birth of Nell Gwynne
Charles II's mistress was born on February 2nd, 1650.
The Hilton Gang: Terrorising Dissent in 1680s London
The last years of Charles II saw London a hotbed of political and religious conflict, exploited by a 'hit squad' who brought a reign of terror to the city.
Faction in Later Stuart England, 1660-1714
At the start of the reign of Charles II, government was the King's business and factions contested for the monarch's ear. The constitutional changes in later Stuart England added a new, parliamentary dimension to faction. But it did not disappear.
Wenceslas Hollar in Tangier
Gillian Williams on the promise of watercolourist and engraver, Wenceslaus Hollar, when he petitioned Charles II to allow him to accompany the British Ambassador on an expedition to Morocco, that he 'would examine all and take designs, and give his Majesty much better satisfaction'.