Not Just the Tudors – Charles II: Restoration of the Monarchy

History Hit, February 9, 2026
Host: Professor Suzannah Lipscomb
Featured Historians: Dr. Jonathan Healy, Miranda Malins, Dr. Claire Jackson, Dr. Laura Engel, Andrea Zuvich, Dr. Sophie Shorland, Rebecca Riddell, Dr. David Taylor

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the dramatic return of Charles II to the English throne in 1660, marking the Restoration of the Monarchy after over a decade of republican rule. Through a blend of storytelling and expert commentary, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores how Charles II transformed England—politically, culturally, and socially—turning a nation starved of joy under Cromwell into a country humming with music, theatre, and controversy. The episode uncovers personal, political, and religious complexities, the king's dazzling court, international diplomacy, his tumultuous private life, and how his reign shaped the future of the British monarchy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Road to Restoration

• Collapse of the Commonwealth
  • After Cromwell’s death, his son Richard (“Tumbledown Dick”) could not handle the fragile regime, leading to chaos and a power vacuum (07:12).
  • A yearning for stability—not just joy—in the population drove acceptance of the monarchy’s return.
    • “Why don’t we just go back to the system which has given us the stability for centuries?” – Dr. Jonathan Healy [06:39]
  • General George Monck emerged as the architect of Restoration, orchestrating the invitation to Charles II.
• Charles’s Exile and Return
  • Years of poverty and humiliating exile hardened Charles, fostering pragmatism, appreciation for ordinary people, and a survivor’s flexibility (12:12).
  • Charles’s harrowing escape after the Battle of Worcester is recounted: hiding in an oak, disguised as a woodcutter, relying on loyal subjects, and never betraying them (09:12–12:00).
  • The Declaration of Breda (April 1660) promised religious tolerance, pardons, and cooperation with Parliament—essential for his return.

Triumph & Beneath the Surface

• The Joyous Restoration

  • Charles arrives to enormous celebration, as described by diarist John Evelyn:
    • “The way strewed with flowers, the bells ringing, the streets hung with tapestry, fountains running with wine.” [14:57]
  • Pageantry and public engagement contrast with the stripped-down Scottish coronation he’d experienced previously [15:09–17:15].
  • Yet, fundamentally, this was a “parliamentary restoration”— Charles was king because Parliament allowed it, not by “divine right” [17:15].

• Reconstruction of Monarchy: Politics & Religion

  • Charles’s powers now depended on parliamentary grants, especially taxation (17:15–18:30).
  • The “Clarendon Code” codifies Anglican supremacy, dramatically excluding non-conformists:
    • Corporation Act (1661)
    • Act of Uniformity (1662)
    • Conventicle Act (1664)
    • Five Mile Act (1665)
  • “Together these measures cemented Anglican supremacy and deepened rifts.” [20:15]

Court Life and Personal Intrigue

• The Merry Monarch's Court

  • Charles lifts the gloom of Puritan rule, transforming court into a centre of “wit and pleasure” and making theatre accessible—with women performing roles for the first time.
    • “The novelty of women on the stage...was a huge, huge attraction for audiences.” – Dr. Laura Engel [22:15]
  • Charles himself is highly visible, approachable, and accompanied by his infamous spaniels.

• Dynasty, Diplomacy, and Drama

  • Charles’s marriage to Catherine of Braganza brings a large dowry and territories (Bombay, Tangier), strengthening trade and empire (24:27–26:11).
    • “He needs to get married, have an heir...They’d ideally like him to marry a Protestant, but he rejects the whole swathe of German princesses...until the Portuguese ambassador comes along.” – Dr. Sophie Shorland [23:57]
  • Yet, personal happiness fails: Catherine’s piety and unpreparedness for court scandal contrasts with Charles’s open affairs.

• Mistresses and Illegitimate Offspring

  • Charles’s most influential mistresses are profiled:
    • Barbara Villiers—“In effect, she was the Queen and the wife of Charles II for the first two years at least.” – Andrea Zuvich [29:06]
    • Francis Stuart (La Belle Stewart): Charles’s infatuation nearly drove him to divorce (33:12).
    • Louise de Kérouaille: Sent by Louis XIV, her influence and Catholicism fuels fears of French/Popish control (36:13).
    • Nell Gwyn: The beloved “Protestant whore,” famously joked with an angry mob; her wit and popularity set her apart.
      • “Pray, good people, be civil. I am the Protestant whore.” [37:20]
      • Charles creates titles under pressure from mistresses, e.g., when Nell dangles their son out a window:
        • “God save the Earl of Burford!” [38:28]
  • Despite his many children, none are legitimate, intensifying the succession crisis.

Crisis & Survival

• Public Emergencies

  • The Plague (1665): Charles flees court—criticized but standard practice.
  • Great Fire of London (1666):
    • Charles’s hands-on effort, public displays, and effective orchestration gain him acclaim.
      • “Charles then goes out himself as well and...really helping in the physical effort to combat the fire too...He makes sure that he gets a brilliant write up in the London Gazette about his efforts.” – Rebecca Riddell [42:40]
    • Juxtaposed with the Lord Mayor’s infamous dismissal of the fire:
      • “A woman could piss it out.” [44:11]

• Religious and Political Friction

  • Persistent anti-Catholicism is exacerbated by Charles’s Catholic wife, his brother James’s conversion, and secret French ties (44:55-45:30).
  • Secret Treaty of Dover (1670): Charles promises to convert to Catholicism in exchange for French money and troops, but never fulfills it publicly.

• Financial Vulnerability

  • Chronic lack of funds leads to dependence on French subsidies and the infamous “Stop of the Exchequer”—a royal bankruptcy (47:00).
    • “Charles is more or less being bankrolled by France.” – Dr. David Taylor [61:00]

• Parliamentary Conflict and Exclusion Crisis

  • Charles’s 1672 Declaration of Indulgence (tolerance for dissenters) is quashed; Parliament imposes Test Act, barring Catholics from office.
  • The Popish Plot (1678) ignites a nationwide Catholic witch-hunt; Parliament tries to exclude James from succession.
  • Charles outmanoeuvres efforts to unseat his brother, showing political skill and personal loyalty.
    • “The king's refusal to abandon his brother...revealed a personal loyalty that was one of his most admirable characteristics.” [53:33]

End of Reign & Legacy

• The Final Years
  • Rye House Plot (1683): Used as a pretext to crush Whig opposition and rule without Parliament (57:29).
    • Showed readiness for judicial violence Charles otherwise avoided.
  • Deathbed Conversion & Succession Crisis
    • Charles receives Catholic rites from Father John Huddleston; his last words honor Nell Gwyn:
      • “Let not poor Nelly starve.” [62:06]
  • Achievements
    • Royal Society founded under his patronage; leaders like Newton and Wren flourish.
    • Colonial expansion in America; creation of Navigation Acts centralizes trade.
  • Failures and Unresolved Tensions
    • Enduring religious friction, parliamentary struggles, and financial mismanagement.
    • His flexibility and reluctance for confrontation, successful for his reign, set the stage for his brother James II’s disastrous rule.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why don’t we just go back to the system which has given us stability for centuries?”
  – Dr. Jonathan Healy [06:39]

• “The way strewed with flowers, the bells ringing, the streets hung with tapestry, fountains running with wine.”
  – John Evelyn, quoted by Suzannah Lipscomb [14:57]

• “In effect, she was the Queen and the wife of Charles II for the first two years at least.”
  – Andrea Zuvich on Barbara Villiers [29:06]

• “Pray, good people, be civil. I am the Protestant whore.”
  – Nell Gwyn, as recalled by Suzannah Lipscomb [37:20]

• “God save the Earl of Burford!”
  – Charles II, when Nell Gwyn dangles their son from a window [38:28]

• “Charles is more or less being bankrolled by France. What France really want is for Charles to openly convert to Catholicism. Had this become public knowledge, there would have been another civil war. It would have been absolute political dynamite.”
  – Dr. David Taylor [61:00]

• “Let not poor Nelly starve.”
  – Charles II’s reported last words [62:06]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 06:39 – Dr. Jonathan Healy: Why the republic failed and nostalgia for monarchy
• 09:12–12:00 – Charles II’s escape after Worcester; the Oak legend
• 14:57 – John Evelyn on Charles’s triumphant entry into London
• 17:15 – Contrast of Scottish and London coronations
• 20:15 – Enactment of the Clarendon Code, religious exclusions
• 22:15 – Dr. Laura Engel: Arrival of women on the English stage
• 23:49–26:11 – Charles’s marriage to Catherine of Braganza
• 29:06 – Andrea Zuvich: Barbara Villiers’s hold over Charles
• 33:12 – Francis Stuart’s refusal and court consequences
• 37:20 – Nell Gwyn’s “Protestant whore” moment
• 42:40–44:11 – Charles’s leadership during the Great Fire
• 47:00 – The Stop of the Exchequer (royal bankruptcy)
• 51:02 – Dr. Sophie Shorland on the Popish Plot and its dangers
• 61:00 – Dr. David Taylor: On Charles’s relationship with France and Parliament
• 62:06 – Charles II’s deathbed, last words, and legacy

Final Takeaway

Charles II’s reign was glittering and turbulent, marked by joy, scandal, and mounting crises. His Restoration brought a nation “starved of laughter” back to life—but at a profound political and personal cost. Through charm and compromise, he preserved both monarchy and peace, but unresolved tensions and dynastic failures would set the stage for further upheaval as England entered its final Stuart decade.