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| 1630-1685. | | 1630-1685. |
| Son of [[Charles I]] and Henrietta Maria of France. When his father was decapitated in 1649 and England became a Commonwealth, the Scots declared him King. The Scottish forces were beaten in the Battle of Worcester (1651) and - after an adventurous escape from the battlefield - Charles fled to the European continent and lived in France and the Netherlands (with a short stint at Cologne). | | Son of [[Charles I]] and Henrietta Maria of France. King of England and Scotland 1660-1685. |
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| After his [[Restoration]] in 1660, he became known as the "merry monarch", only interested in wine, women, more women and the theatre. Although England suffered many defeats and catastrophes during his reign (e.g., the [[Great Plague]] in 1665 and the [[Great Fire of London]] in 1666), he proved a shrewd politician who kept the country from another Civil War (a threat that became very concrete during the [[Exclusion Crisis]], 1679-1681). Although he had many mistresses, he staid loyal to his wife, [[Catherine of Braganza]], whom Whig politicians tried to get rid of during the Exclusion Crisis.
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| On his deathbed and true to the stipulations of the Secret Treaty of Dover (1670), he converted to [[Catholicism]]. Supposed famous last words: "Remember [[Nell Gwyn|poor Nelly]]".
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Revision as of 15:00, 3 November 2016
1630-1685.
Son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. King of England and Scotland 1660-1685.