This term has other meanings, see Charles I. Charles I Charles I Teàrlach I ... Wikipedia
King of England and Scotland from the Stuart dynasty, who reigned from 1625 to 1648. Son of James 1 and Anne of Denmark. J.: from June 12, 1625 Henrietta Maria, daughter of King Henry IV of France (b. 1609, d. 1669). Genus. November 29, 1600, d. 30 Jan 1649… … All the monarchs of the world
King of England and Scotland from the Stuart dynasty, who reigned from 1660 to 1685. Son of Charles I and Henrietta of France. J.: from 1662 Catherine, daughter of King John IV of Portugal (b. 1638, d. 1705). Genus. 29 May 1630, d. 16 Feb 1685 In the very... All the monarchs of the world
Charles I of Anjou Charles I d Anjou Statue of Charles of Anjou on the facade of the royal palace in Naples ... Wikipedia
King of Spain from the Bourbon dynasty, who reigned from 1788 to 1808. J.: from 1765 Maria Louise, daughter of Duke Philip of Parma (b. 1751, d. 1819) b. November 11, 1748, d. 19 Jan 1819 Before ascending the throne, Charles lived completely idle... All the monarchs of the world
Wikipedia has articles about other people named Carl. Charles VI the Mad Charles VI le Fol, ou le Bien Aimé ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Charles II. Charles II Carlos II ... Wikipedia
Charles II 1630-1685
The son and namesake of Charles I was in many ways the opposite of his father. The charming bon vivant turned out to be a clever politician who not only managed to regain the throne lost by the Stuarts, but also turn England into a country that began to be reckoned with in Europe.
Charles was the second but eldest surviving child of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. He was born in London, at St. James's Palace, on May 29, 1630. His childhood was spent among a steadily increasing number of brothers and sisters in suburban residences, mainly in Richmond and Hampton Court.
The deteriorating relations of Charles I with his subjects very quickly affected the fate of the young prince. At first, parliament, dissatisfied with the training of the future monarch, demanded that his tutor be replaced. Then, when an open conflict broke out between the king and his opponents.
Karl accompanied his father for a long time to the next royalist camps. When the scales began to tip towards parliament, the king decided that the prince should go to France. The son initially refused, but in the spring of 1646 he eventually joined his mother, who was at the court of her nephew Louis XIV.
When the Scots first captured Charles I and handed him over to the English Parliament, and later decided to support the king, it was his eldest son who was invited to lead Scotland's invasion of England in May 1648. At this time, young Charles moved from France to The Hague, where he began to form troops, at the head of which he could return to the country to support the royalist uprising, and negotiated with Scottish envoys. However, both ventures ended in failure.
King Charles II Stuart. John Michael Wright. XVII century... National Portrait Gallery, UK
Charles I with his children: Mary, James II and Charles II. 17th century, private collection
The situation changed dramatically after the trial and execution of Charles I in January 1649. The prince became King Charles II and began new preparations for a war to regain power. He resumed negotiations with the Scots, who, upon hearing of the beheading of Charles I, proclaimed Charles II as their new monarch; he also began to actively seek international support for his claim to the throne - his diplomats arrived in most European courts, even in Russia, asking for financial and political assistance for their monarch. In June 1650, Charles landed in Scotland, but he still could not come to an agreement with some of the local politicians. Despite the difficult situation (Cromwell's victory at Dunbar on September 3, 1650), he managed to prevent English occupation, and on January 1, 1651, he ascended to the throne of Scotland.
Over the next months, both sides prepared for the decisive battle. As a result, in September, in the battle of Worcester, the army of the Republic defeated the Stuart supporters, and Charles was forced to flee. For several weeks he hid in England, transferred by his supporters from one hiding place to another: in the ruins of old monasteries, in private houses, in barns and even in an oak tree that was empty in the middle. He managed to survive, despite the high reward placed on his head and the danger that threatened the people hiding him. The severity of his situation was aggravated by his high height (about 190 cm), because of which he was easy to recognize. However, in the end, Charles, dressed as a simple servant, managed to reach the coast and cross to Normandy.
The following years passed under the sign of endless and fruitless attempts to create an international coalition that could defeat Cromwell and return the monarch to England. Neither the Anglo-Dutch (1652–1654) nor the Anglo-Spanish (1655–1660) wars served this purpose. True, Charles managed to form several regiments, which, under his leadership, fought on the side of the Spaniards in Flanders, but this enterprise ended in defeat at the Battle of Dunkirk (June 1658).
However, within a few months the situation changed dramatically: first Oliver Cromwell died, then France and Spain began peace negotiations, and in the end power in England passed to General George Monck, who convened the so-called Long Parliament, dissolved by Cromwell. In the spring of 1660, events began to unfold with kaleidoscopic speed: Monk entered into an agreement with Charles, who was in the Netherlands all this time, and on April 4 he issued the Declaration of Breda, in which he declared amnesties for supporters of the Republic and guaranteed the inviolability of their property. On April 25, a new parliament met, and on May 1, the restoration of the monarchy was announced. On May 29, 1660, Charles II solemnly entered London, greeted by crowds of his subjects.
The monarch had no illusions about his reign. He was aware of the deep split in society and, probably, that is why in the first years of power he pursued a rather moderate policy.
CHARLES II'S MOTHER, HENRIETTA MARIA OF BOURBON, WAS VERY DISLIKED IN ENGLAND. SO IN 1644 SHE AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE FORCED TO ESCAPE TO SAVE HER AND THEIR LIVES. HER HUSBAND, CHARLES I, WAS LESS LUCKY: HIS HEAD WAS CUT OFF IN 1649.
Silver pocket watch of Oliver Cromwell, 17th century, Ashmolen Museum, Oxford, UK
Instead of looking for ways to take revenge on the opponents of his father (this, however, did not apply to those who signed the death warrant for Charles I - they were forced to flee, and those who were captured were executed), the king first of all tried to create a strong army, developed economy and tried to achieve relative balance on the political scene.
In 1662, feeling the need to give the country an heir to the throne, the king married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza. The new queen was a Catholic, which caused discontent among her subjects, but unlike Henrietta Maria, she did not show any particular political ambitions. The marriage was not very successful: Karl was known as a connoisseur of female beauty and in the past was famous for his passionate affairs, the fruit of which were many illegitimate children. Catherine, in turn, could not be called a beauty. The monarch himself made it clear to his courtiers that he was dissatisfied with the appearance of his bride, after their first meeting he exclaimed: “Gentlemen, instead of a wife you brought me a bat!” The Queen became pregnant several times, but each time it ended in miscarriage. Charles tried to treat his wife with respect and provide her with decent conditions, which, however, did not stop him from trying to make her the first maid of honor to Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine, his most famous mistress and the mother of at least five of his children.
Later, the king spared no effort to strengthen England's position in the international arena and improve the economic situation in the country. Not all of his undertakings were successful: the first war with Holland, which he waged, despite the return of New Amsterdam (now New York), can hardly be called successful. At the same time, the strengthening of, for example, the position of the East India Company laid the foundations for later British dominance in this region.
In matters of domestic policy, Karl had to look for solutions to several difficult problems. One of them was religion: some of his subjects believed that the king’s policy in matters of religion I was too tolerant towards Catholics. Added to this was the problem of succession to the throne. When it became obvious that Charles would probably not have a legitimate heir, his younger brother, James, Duke of York, who did not hide his pro-Catholic views, became his successor. The situation worsened after the outbreak of anti-Catholic hysteria associated with the Papist Plot (1678). Charles, trying to maintain social balance, first sent Jacob to the continent and then to Scotland, after which he took control of the upbringing of his daughters in the Protestant faith.
The king's relationship with Parliament remained tense, even despite the support of some politicians who, for example, protested against attempts to change the law of succession to the throne and exclude James from being the heir. It was revealed several times that attempts were being made on the king's life. However, the fact remains that despite the political turmoil, the king was popular among the people. One of the descriptions of his visit to Newmarket (still a famous riding center) reads: “The King had a wonderful time there, being a lover of the entertainment for which the place is famous. Despite his position, he behaved like one of the many gentlemen who came there. He did not shy away from people, talked with everyone who wanted to talk to him, went falconry in the morning, attended cockfights during the day (if there were no races), and in the evenings watched performances by a troupe of traveling magicians in the barn...”
Portrait of little Charles II with a dog. Anthony van Dyck, 17th century, private collection
CHARLES II WAS FAMOUS FOR HIS LOVE ADVENTURES. HE HAD MANY ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN. HIS MOVIES WERE, AMONG OTHERS, CATHERINE PEGGE, LADY GREEN, NOBLEESS LUCY WALTER, ELIZABETH KILLIGREW II LOUISE RENEE DE KEROUAL, DUCHESS OF PORTSMOUTH.
During Charles's reign, London was devastated by two disasters: the plague in the summer of 1665 and the Great Fire in September 1666. The capital was able to rebuild quite quickly, also thanks to the monarch, who made every effort to restore the palaces and houses of ordinary residents. True, due to significant financial constraints, the king was unable to completely rebuild the city center, but he contributed significantly to the creation of the most familiar work of European architecture, designed by Christopher Wren, the majestic St. Paul's Cathedral. Another achievement of the king was the founding of the world's most famous association of scientists - the Royal Scientific Society.
Charles II's entry into Whitehall in 1660. Alfred Barron Clay, Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, UK, Lancashire
Tired of political disputes and the tense situation in the country, as well as not the healthiest lifestyle. Karl began to complain of feeling unwell. He died suddenly on February 6, 1685, at the age of 54, most likely from hemorrhage.
From the book Temporary Men and Favorites of the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries. Book I author Birkin Kondraty From the book Temporary Men and Favorites of the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries. Book III author Birkin KondratyCHARL XII (KING OF SWEDISH) COUNT CARL PIPER. - BARON GEORGE HEINRICH HERZ (1697–1718) Forty-three years have passed since Christina’s abdication from the throne. During this period, two sovereigns - Charles X and Charles XI replaced one another, glorifying themselves and Swedish weapons through wars with Poland, Russia and
From the book Poems author Dickinson Emily Elizabeth From the book 100 famous tyrants author Vagman Ilya Yakovlevich From the book by Charles Perrault author Boyko Sergey Pavlovich179 (1630) Like a balloon bursting from the earth, it bursts away - after all, its Occupation is Ascension into a floating dwelling. So the spirit looks at the whole century of His oppressed dust with anger, as a bird deprived of song would look. Translation by A.
From the book Betancourt author Kuznetsov Dmitry IvanovichCHARLES V (b. 1500 - d. 1558) Holy Roman Emperor. Spanish king from the Habsburg dynasty. Under the banner of Catholicism, he tried to create a “world Christian power.” The Spanish king Carlos I, better known as the Holy Roman Emperor
From the book Maria de Medici by Carmona MichellePart five OLD AGE (1685–1703) 1685 Charles was fifty-seven years old. “A very old man,” they said about such long-livers in those days. However, despite his age, Charles was cheerful and cheerful. He almost never got sick and devoted himself entirely to work and children. Just like in the good old days
From the book by Rubens by Avermat Roger1685 Charles was fifty-seven years old. “A very old man,” they said about such long-livers in those days. However, despite his age, Charles was cheerful and cheerful. He almost never got sick and devoted himself entirely to work and children. As in the good old days, at noon his carriage
From the book Beethoven author Fauconnier BernardCHARLES III At the beginning of his life, Charles did not intend to own the royal regalia, but his older brother Ferdinand VI did not have children, so after his death, Charles III had to ascend the throne. He became king of Spain at the age of forty-three. Two years before this event
From the author's bookCHARLES III The year 1789 began turbulently for Betancourt. Even on Christmas Eve, he learned that on December 14, his deeply beloved King Charles III died in Madrid from an incurable disease. Augustine de Betancourt's entire life passed during his reign, and he could not even imagine that someone
From the author's bookCHARLES IV The beginning of the 90s of the 18th century was a difficult time for Spain. On December 14, 1788, the throne went to forty-year-old Charles IV, the second son of Charles III and his wife Maria Emilia of Saxony. Why the second? The elder brother of Charles IV suffered from a severe form of epilepsy. Maternal
From the author's bookJanuary - October 1630: Casal and the “great storm” in Lyon On January 18, 1630, Richelieu arrives in Lyon. Under the command of Marshal de La Force, the army headed towards Turin, where the army of the Duke of Savoy was entrenched. Richelieu and the marshal captured Rivoli. Upon learning that the citadel garrison
From the author's bookXI ON THE CHESSBOARD OF EUROPE (1628–1630) Rubens crossed the territory of France with lightning speed. He allowed himself only a small detour - he drove through La Rochelle. For a whole year now, the heroic fortress has been resisting a brutal siege. However, the end is near. In spring
From the author's bookXII YEAR OF TRIUMPH (1630) And so he returned to his family! penates. New laurels were added to his former glory. He played his game on the great chessboard of Europe. His compatriots living in a politically dependent country look with admiration at the one who challenged fate
From the author's bookXIII REVERSE SIDE OF THE MEDAL (1630–1633) On the sixth of December, the bells of Sint-Jakobskerk joyfully rang in honor of the newlyweds - Peter Paul Rubens and his young wife. A few days later, Charles I signed a decree elevating the artist to the rank of Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur. For that
From the author's bookKarl 1815. After success - loneliness. The Congress of Vienna continued until June, guided by the firm hand of Metternich, who was opposed by the clever Talleyrand, who managed to avoid the highest humiliation for France. In the midst of the festivities set by the Austrian court, Beethoven
Charles II Stuart - King of England, Scotland and Ireland, the eldest son of Charles I and Mary Henrietta of Bourbon, was born in London on May 29, 1630. As heir to the throne, he bore the title of Prince of Wales, and was raised by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
During the English bourgeois revolution of 1640-1653, he hid in the north of the country, in 1646 he fled to Holland, then to France. After the execution of his father, he accepted the royal title and, having made a number of concessions to the Presbyterians, received the support of the royalists in Ireland and Scotland, however, having suffered defeat at Dunbar (1650) and Worcester (1651), he was forced to emigrate.
Came to power as a result of a coup d'etat carried out by General George Monk. In April 1660, he signed the Declaration of Breda on amnesty for all participants in the revolution, the preservation of civil liberties and the confirmation of basic constitutional acts that largely limited the prerogatives of royal power, returned to England on May 25, 1660 on the initiative of the “Convention Parliament”, which returned the royal domains, and also part of the lands sequestered from the aristocracy.
Despite the fact that Charles II was indifferent to church disputes, during this period the clerical reaction began to intensify, which was facilitated by the election of the Long Parliament of the Restoration (1661-1679), which was initially loyal to the new regime, which approved the Clarendon Code (1661), the Act on conformism" (1662), the censorship charter and a number of other bills aimed at restoring the primacy of the Anglican Church. This trend was supported by the Lord Chancellor Edward Hyde (1660-1667), Earl of Clarendon, who had long enjoyed the king's confidence, undermined by the intrigues of the opposition, which considered him responsible for the defeat of the British fleet in the Anglo-Dutch War of 1664-1667, caused by rival trading campaigns. After his fall, a group of members of the Privy Council came to power, which was called the “bonded ministry” (1667-1674) after the first letters of the surnames of its participants (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale).
Charles II's foreign policy was extremely inconsistent. Initially, he headed for rapprochement with Portugal and France, to which he sold Dunkirk, conquered by Cromwell (1662), then tried to take advantage of the contradictions between France, Holland and Spain, which resulted in the “Triple Alliance” consisting of England, Holland and Sweden (1668-1670) , directed against the expansionist aspirations of Louis XIV.
The attempt of the House of Commons to limit the king's competence with the "Triennial Act" regulating the frequency of convening of Parliament, establishing the responsibility of ministers and control over the expenses of the royal court, forced Charles II to conclude the Treaty of Dover on subsidies with France (1670) and issue the "Declaration of Toleration" (1672) in relation to to Catholics, which led to the adoption by Parliament of the “Act of Oath” (1673). The internal crisis was aggravated by the new Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674), as a result of which the “bonded ministry” collapsed, and some of its representatives went over to the opposition. For four years, the government was headed by Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby, a supporter of the Protestants, who preferred not to aggravate relations with Catholics, on whose side the king’s younger brother, the Duke of York, openly sided. However, an assassination attempt on Charles II, discovered in August 1678, provoked increased anti-Catholic tendencies, which led to the dissolution of Parliament in January 1679.
In the new parliament, the Whig party, led by Anthony Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury, won the victory, representing the interests of the big bourgeoisie and advocating expanding the jurisdiction of parliament. He managed to achieve the passage of the Civil Rights Act, arrest the Earl of Danby and expel the Duke of York, but when he attempted to deprive him of the right to inherit the throne, Charles II again dissolved Parliament. In 1680-1681, he dispersed two opposition parliaments and, having suppressed the Cameronian uprising in Scotland, took repressive measures against his opponents, taking advantage of the Ryhouse Conspiracy of 1683, some of its participants were executed, and the rest were expelled from the country. During this period, Charles II was supported by the Tory party, which united the conservative aristocracy and clergy, which allowed him to do without convening parliament. After some cooling in the late 70s, he entered into an agreement with Louis XIV (1684), according to which he pledged not to interfere with his conquests in exchange for financial compensation in the amount of 2.5 million livres.
He died in London on February 18, 1685 from apoplexy, leaving several illegitimate sons who received ducal titles (Grafton, Richmond, Monmouth, etc.). His marriage to Catherine of Portugal, concluded in 1662, turned out to be childless.
Charles II was the organizer of the Royal Society, patronized the arts, and promoted the development of trade.
One of the most probably loving kings was the son of the executed Charles 1st English king.
I got hold of portraits here online (I think of all his mistresses). True, not in color, but I’m still glad.
I offer it for wide acquaintance along with a short note about the personality of Charles 2 himself.
Charles II (eng. Charles II, May 29, 1630 - February 6, 1685) - king of England and Scotland from 1660,
The only warning! It's still hard to read the names in the enlarged image. I barely figured out the glasses. It's a shame :(
Official title of the episode: The beauties of the court of Charles the Second; a series of portraits, illustrating the diaries of Pepys, Evelyn, Clarendon, and other contemporary writers. With memoirs, biographical and critical, by Mrs. Jameson. The portraits from copies made for Her late Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, by Mr. Murphy. (published 1833)
Prince of Wales, son of King Charles I and Henrietta of France. English king (since 1660), from the Stuart dynasty. His proclamation as king meant the restoration of the monarchy in England.
Charles was born on May 29, 1630. With his charming face he resembled his mother, and in character he resembled his grandfather, King Henry IV. Amorous in childhood, insatiably voluptuous in youth and adulthood, depraved in old age - Charles II gradually turned from an epicurean into a cynic, setting an example of extreme unbridled morals to the entire court.
When Charles I's discord with the people began, the young Prince of Wales was sent to The Hague and given into the care of William of Orange. News of the progress of the struggle between the king of England and his subjects became more alarming day by day; the unfortunate Queen Henrietta went to France to beg for help from the husband of the almighty Richelieu, and then from Cardinal Mazarin. Almost all European sovereigns sympathized with the English king, but not one of them provided him with significant assistance.
While the father was languishing in captivity among his subjects, his eighteen-year-old son spent his time in love affairs, winning victories over beauties of easy virtue.
In 1648, the Prince of Wales met Colonel Robert Sidney's mistress, the charming Lucy Walters, in The Hague, and fell madly in love with her. Moreover, he did not achieve reciprocity immediately. Colonel Sidney reacted to the piquant situation philosophically: having learned about the king’s feelings for his kept woman, he generously decided that Lucy was free to do as she pleased.
The Prince of Wales immediately took Lucy to his place, and she was quick to announce her pregnancy. In 1649, the favorite gave birth to Karl's son Jacob. According to the testimony of the king's inner circle, the real father of the newborn was not the prince, but Robert Sidney, to whom the child was strikingly similar, even marked with a mole on his cheek, just like Lucy's benefactor... But love blinds. The courtesan did not have much difficulty convincing the Prince of Wales that he was the father of her child, and Charles without hesitation recognized him as his own.
He spent whole days in the company of his mistress, obeyed her unquestioningly, and forestalled her slightest desires; he spent the last of the modest subsidies given to him by William of Orange on her whims. The news of the execution of Charles I interrupted this idyll for a while and forced the prince - now inheriting the royal title after his father - to take up matters befitting his rank.
In the spring of 1649, having bid farewell to Lucy Walters, Charles II went to Ireland, where the Marquess of Ormonde was fighting for the royal crown. From here, with a small detachment of soldiers, Charles crossed to Scotland. As if wanting to make amends for the recent betrayal and betrayal of Charles I, the Scots greeted his son with delight, welcoming him as the rightful king.
Returning from Scotland, Charles II created his son by Lucy Walters the title of Earl of Orkney, Duke of Monmouth and Knight of the Order of the Garter. Dear Lucy was long forgotten by Charles II - during his trip to Scotland, she behaved inappropriately freely in The Hague and finally earned herself a reputation as a corrupt woman.
It should be said about the king that he was indomitable in his sexual desires. He didn’t care how to woo women; he dealt with husbands quickly and simply. Ugly as mortal sin, the king could, having captured a woman, immediately reject her. He changed women like gloves. But at the same time, Charles II took care of his health, on summer evenings he went to the river in Putney to swim, and in the mornings, when everyone else was resting in bed, exhausted from the night's excesses, he rose with the sun and played tennis for two hours on the palace court. He was involved in many things, was an intelligent and subtle politician and economist. The king could successfully carry on a conversation about astronomy, architecture, gardening, antiques and beekeeping.
But at the same time, with the accession of Charles II, talk about abstinence and the dangers of illegal connections ceased. The venerable Kapfig, a good-natured panegerist of the blessed old time and all favorites in general, describes the court of Charles II in this way: “It was difficult to find a court more graceful, more frivolous, richer in intrigue and beauties. Among the most notable beauties, especially notable were: Countess Castleman, later Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Chesterfield, Countess of Shrewsbury, Countess of Middleton, Maid Hamilton, who married Earl Gramont, and Miss Francis Stuart, the king's mistress. All these brilliant ladies could easily compete with the leading beauties of the Versailles court, which they took as a model. The court was busy with the upcoming marriage of the king to the Portuguese infanta (Catherine), whose hand the king officially asked from the Lisbon court.” The Infanta did not stand out for her beauty or intelligence: politics played the main role in this choice of Charles II; In addition, she was given an excellent dowry in full doubloons, and the king was constantly in need of money. He was distinguished by his extravagance, but he was tired of begging for subsidies from parliament, which every time entered into an argument when it came to issuing money.
The mistress of Charles II, Miss Francis Stuart, deserves special attention. Cavalier Gramon, for the edification of posterity, who left precious information about the court of Charles II, wrote: “Her character was childishly funny; a penchant for amusements befitting only a twenty-year-old girl. Her favorite game was blind man's buff. She loved to build houses of cards when there was a big game in her house, and helpful courtiers supplied her with building materials and showed her the buildings of new architecture. She also loved music and singing. The Duke of Buckingham got the hang of building houses of cards, sang beautifully, and composed songs and children's stories, which Miss Stewart was crazy about; but he was especially good at noticing funny features in the manners and conversation of others and skillfully mimicking them. In a word, Buckingham was such an unrivaled actor and pleasant conversationalist that not a single meeting could take place without him. Miss Stewart was inseparable from him in her amusements, and if he did not come to her with the king, she immediately sent for him.”
The king, his brother James and Charles Stuart's cousin, the Duke of Richmond, were all in love with this girl at the same time. The minx cohabited with all three so that no one would be offended. In addition to three admirers from the royal family, her lovers were: Buckingham, a card architect, Mondeville, Carlington and Digby, who committed suicide out of love for her. Karl's relationship with Miss Stewart did not prevent him from cohabiting with Lady Castleman and actresses Nellie Gwyn and Molly Davis...
Francis lived at White Hall Palace, where Charles II visited her quite often. Ruining the treasury to build St. James, the king said that it was hard for him to live in the palace where his father was executed. However, these noble feelings of respect did not prevent Charles II from visiting White Hall almost every day, where such orgies were held that even Messalina could blush. One night, Francis, Lady Barbara Castleman, Nellie Gwyn, Molly Davis and a whole harem of girls imitated the wedding in the presence of the king. Lady Castleman acted as the groom, Francis Stewart as the bride, and the others as priests and witnesses. The ceremony was accompanied by all church and public ceremonies; The newlyweds were put to bed, where they indulged in amorous pastimes. The king himself sang frivolous songs, accompanying himself on the guitar, naked favorites danced in front of him, swaying their hips; the wine flowed like a river, and the holiday ended in a complete bacchanalia...
The Duke of Richmond, blinded by passion for Francis, finally decided to secretly marry her. Then jealousy awoke in the heart of Charles II. He disbanded his harem; spent days and nights with Franziska. It was even rumored that he wanted to divorce the queen and marry his beloved. Francis immediately realized that it was much more profitable for her to marry Richmond than to live with the king. She feigned illness and stopped seeing Charles II, preparing to elope with Richmond. The distressed Charles II complained about her to his other favorite, Lady Castleman. She advised him to visit the patient and meet with Babiani’s attending physician.
Karl, following her advice, literally burst into the favorite’s bedroom and saw... Francis in Richmond’s arms. The king began to curse like a drunken sailor. The lovers froze in horror.
Richmond was sent from the bedroom to the Tower, where he spent three weeks (from March 31 to April 21, 1655). Immediately after liberation, Richmond and Francis Stuart fled to Kent and were secretly married there. Miss Stewart returned to the king all the diamonds he had given him.
Charles II did not sulk at the traitor for long, then he took steps towards reconciliation, and the Duchess of Richmond, the young wife, again found herself in the arms of her lover, assuring the king of unfailing fidelity and, on occasion, robbing him. Francisca's husband died in 1670, and she died in 1700 or 1701, leaving behind a huge fortune.
Before Charles II, in English theaters, female roles in plays were played by young men and sometimes by adult men; prim Presbyterian women considered it a mortal sin to appear on the stage. In the first year of his reign, Charles II expressed a desire to include women in theater troupes.
0 Among the first to appear on stage were the charming Nellie Gwyn and Molly Davis, who almost immediately ended up in the royal harem. Beauty and talent replaced their noble diplomas. Noble ladies looked with contempt at the comedians who dared to compete with them in the fight for the attention of the king. It took the intervention of Charles II to make his noble mistresses reconcile with the plebeians. They sat at the same table.
Nelly, dexterous, graceful, danced and sang beautifully. Her influence on the king was so great that if she had asked Charles II to execute someone, the king would, without a doubt, fulfill her whim. Fortunately, Nellie was not bloodthirsty, and together with Molly Davis she lured jewelry and gifts from the king...
Nellie Gwin, according to chroniclers, was born in the attic; As a child, she sold fish, then sang on the street and in taverns. Finally, the actors Garth and Lacey noticed her, and with their help she ended up in the royal theater. Here Lord Dorset noticed her and took her into his custody. Charles II, having given him a position at the embassy in France, lured the beauty to him for an annual fee of 500 pounds sterling. Four years later, this salary increased to 60,000. It is noteworthy that the king sympathized with Nellie until his death in 1685 and, thanks to her concerns, patronized the theater. Theater artists, by order of Charles II, were called courtiers and were included in the public service. When parliament considered the issue of taxing actors, this proposal was rejected on the pretext that the actors served for the amusement of the king.
"Actors or actresses?" – one of the members of the lower house joked carelessly. Why careless? Yes, because for this impudent joke the member of parliament had his nose cut off, which replaced his convict brand.
Actress Molly Davis was in the pay of the Duke of Buckingham, who recommended her to Charles II. She was famous for singing frivolous songs, accompanying them with completely indecent body movements. But this is exactly what the English padishah liked. Molly Davis had a daughter from Charles II, named Mary Tudor and subsequently married to the earl.
Two titled ladies competed with the actresses: the famous Miss Francis Stuart and Countess Barbara Castleman, with whom the king became close during his campaign in Holland. The Countess was at least as good as her rivals in beauty and debauchery.
Barbara devoted herself to serving Venus from the age of fifteen. Her seducer was Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, a married and monstrously ugly man; but this beauty always had a special penchant for freaks. Barbara, without any embarrassment, asserted that ugly people indulge in love with greater passion than beautiful ones. They idolize a woman, value her, are jealous... while handsome men, even loved by beauties, are rarely constant. In a word, Barbara had her own philosophy.
To hide the consequences of her affair with the Earl of Chesterfield, she married Rogers, Earl of Castleman, a disgusting dwarf, but fabulously rich; Only in religious beliefs could these dear spouses agree, since both were Catholics. Soon after the wedding, the couple went to Holland to visit Charles II, who was in exile. The husband opened his wallet to him, the wife - a passionate embrace.
On his arrival in London, Charles II rewarded the good cuckold by giving him, at his request, the position of keeper of the king's bench prison; then made him a baron, and finally an earl of Castleman. Two months later his son was born. The countess, in the hope that Charles II would recognize him as one of his own, wanted to baptize him according to the Protestant rite, the count - according to the Catholic one. Despite Barbara's protests, the baby was anointed with myrrh and baptized, giving him a Catholic name. The offended mother complained to the king, and he ordered his son to be baptized a second time as a Protestant, and he himself was his successor, and the Countess of Suffolk was his godmother.
Perhaps King Solomon himself could not have resolved this dispute better. The newborn had two fathers: a Catholic and a Protestant - and he had to be baptized twice. True, it was not entirely Christian when one’s own father was also godfather, but in the eyes of Charles II it was a trifle unworthy of attention. Soon the couple quarreled and separated. The husband went to France, the wife moved to her brother in Richmond.
Three years later, Earl Castleman returned to his homeland and was greeted by his wife, who presented him, in addition to his eldest son, with one more - Henry, Earl of Grifton, and two months later she gave him a third - George... This was too much, and the count demanded a formal divorce, to which Charles II expressed his gracious consent, but on the condition that the count immediately go abroad and under no circumstances return to England. Castleman obeyed; however, six months later he came to London to publish, with the English Jesuits, the “Apology of English Catholics,” written in a rather outrageous spirit.
The author was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower. Charles II was outraged not so much by the book as by the count’s unauthorized return. Castleman's arrest served as a signal to the king's ill-wishers: many lampoons and caricatures appeared on the shelves, about which the royal favorite deigned to pout. Fearing her wrath, Charles II ordered the prisoner to be released, and the count retired to Holland.
At this time, Barbara Castleman changed lovers daily, almost hourly; like Messalina, having changed clothes, she went around the brothels, choosing beautiful sailors, artisans, lackeys as her lovers, buying their caresses for gold, generously lavished on her by the king. Blinded by love, he obeyed her unquestioningly. She demanded money - and golden rain fell on her; wished to be a duchess - the ducal crown was granted to her; asked the king to recognize as her own the children born to her from God knows whom - Charles II legitimized them by giving them ducal titles. This lovely lady died at an advanced age during the reign of William III. Before Louise de Keroual (later Duchess of Portsmouth) appeared at the court of Charles II, Barbara Castleman had enormous influence on him.
The servants and servants of the royal mistresses were Saint-Evremond, Gramont and the Duke of Buckingham. For Nellie Gwyn and Molly Davis, Buckingham composed songs and danced with them at royal orgies; lovely Miss Stewart built houses of cards, told funny stories and kissed feet; Barbara Castleman kissed her hands and looked after her dogs...
Until 1668, the king was content with homegrown beauties. He recklessly spent his treasury on them, and his health in orgies with them. At the end of 1668, a great revolution took place in his harem, which had a huge impact both on himself and on state affairs. And it was like this...
Parliament tried with all its might to persuade the king to enter into an alliance with Holland, England’s recent enemy and rival. This proposed alliance was dangerous to France, and Louis XIV decided to disrupt it at any cost. His envoy in England, the Marquis Tallard, notified that Charles II was leaning towards parliament, and advised him to take emergency measures. Louis XIV turned to the mediation of Charles II's sister, who lived in France, Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orleans. He counted, firstly, on the tender friendship of brother to sister, secondly, on her diplomatic abilities, thirdly, on her ladies-in-waiting, beautiful, flirtatious and crafty. Among them stood out Mademoiselle Louise de Keroual, a Brittany noblewoman, her family descended almost from the Druids. Judging by the portraits that have come down to us, Louise was a fiery brunette, with cheerful black eyes, a chubby childish face and luxurious, curly hair. She entered Henrietta's court at a very young age, and this school of debauchery served her well. The Kerual girl studied the theory (partly and practice) of coquetry to perfection; She had no end to her admirers, but she was so smart and knew her worth that all the efforts of the court ladies' men to win the beauty's heart were in vain. She was waiting for a profitable buyer, and soon such a buyer was found.
To disguise the true reason for Henrietta's trip to England, Louis XIV invited her to accompany him to the newly conquered flâneur regions. Arriving in Ostend, the Duchess of Orleans with her best ladies-in-waiting boarded a ship and arrived in London, where Charles II, notified in advance by letter, was already waiting for her. From the very first meeting, his amorous eyes focused on Louise Kerual. He was captivated and enchanted. The Frenchwoman's graceful manners, her smart, lively speech, coquettish modesty and appropriate swagger - all these qualities that neither Miss Stewart, nor Nellie, etc. had, could not help but catch the eye of Charles II. A helpful sister offered him the maiden Kerual as a reward for an alliance with France, and the king was unable to resist the temptation. The Cavaliers Gramont and Saint-Evremond successfully assumed the roles of pimps, and the Anglo-French alliance was completed. “The silk belt of the maiden Keroual connected France with England!” – wrote Saint-Evremond. For the courtesan, women's belts and garters served as ties that connected the powers with each other!.. Leaving the maiden Querual in England, Henrietta returned to France and a few months later, poisoned on June 30, 1670, she died.
On the instructions of the Duchess of Portsmouth (Louise Querual), the king declared freedom of religion. He allowed Presbyterians, Puritans and Catholics to build churches and preach sermons everywhere. The Duke of York, the king's brother, who had attended English churches for five years, declared himself a follower of the Roman Catholic Church. Neither parliament nor the people could react favorably to this royal decree. English priests spread rumors that Charles II, obeying his Catholic mistress, intended to betray the faith of his parents.
The subsidies paid by Louis XIV to Charles II finally brought down the king in the eyes of the people. The ministers urged him to act with the people like Cromwell, in other words, to take them into iron claws; The Duchess of Portsmouth was of the same opinion; could a king in love refuse her anything? Could he contradict her, especially at a time when she told him about her interesting position? The son born to her, upon his birth, received the ducal titles of Richmond, Lennox, and was granted the royal coat of arms.
The king's affection for the Duchess of Portsmouth increased day by day. Blinded by love, he left his former favorites... He had long forgotten to even think about his wife. She, poor thing, attributed her husband’s indifference to her not to his love of voluptuousness, but solely to the fact that she did not bear him any heirs. In the most difficult moments of loneliness, the queen was consoled by the thought that Charles II would become mentally attached to her if she pleased him with the birth of a son; but could she be a mother, being a wife only in name? She prayed constantly, went on pilgrimage to Tiburn in the hope that God would show a miracle, and Charles II would burn with love for her. But these hopes were not destined to come true.
The rivals of the Duchess of Portsmouth were jealous of the king and would not spare money to overthrow the powerful favorite. Francis Stuart and Barbara Castleman, themselves unfaithful to Charles II, loudly reproached him for treason and inconstancy; but Nellie Gwyn in her indignation was more just and logical than them. She dared to enter into an open fight with the foreign beauty and at first was a dangerous rival to Louise de Keroual in her ingratiation and courtship of the king.
The rapprochement with Holland quickly affected the social and court life of England. The king, and after him the nobles, stopped imitating the French in dress and lifestyle; patriarchal simplicity has replaced recent luxury; velvet, lace, brocade, diamonds disappeared, and they were replaced by cloth, linen, woolen fabrics, steel, and ivory. Balls and performances, recognized as demonic entertainment, were replaced by sermons, readings of Paradise Lost, and the Bible.
Charles II turned from a sybarite almost into a stoic or, even more surprisingly, a trapist. Almost all the royal mistresses had married by this time, with the exception of the Duchess of Portsmouth. She, imitating La Vallière, the favorite of King Louis XIV, told Charles II about her repentance, about her desire to enter a monastery... As for the favorites who got married, it is noteworthy that they chose their pimps as their wives; So, Lord Lyttleton married Miss Temple, Chevalier Gramon married Miss Hamilton...
When Parliament passed a bill to expel Catholics from England, Charles II was indignant. According to this bill, the Queen and Duchess of Portsmouth were supposed to leave the country? Of course, it was not the fate of the queen that worried Charles II. A subtle politician, without mentioning her, the king stood up for his wife: “I am not Henry VIII,” he told the House of Commons, “I will not divorce my kind and honest wife for her infertility...” “And I will not let my mistress go!” - his tender heart told him.
Having dissolved parliament, the king again entered into friendly relations with France, corresponded with Louis XIV, and the duchess with the latter’s mistress, the Duchess of Montespan.
Decrepit from debauchery and drunkenness, in the last two years of his life Charles II looked like a living, tinted and toasted mummy: he moved his legs with difficulty, walked hunched over and generally provided a living, or rather, half-dead example of what debauchery can bring a person to.
On February 6, 1685, a stroke of paralysis ended the life of Charles II in the fifty-fifth year of his birth and the twenty-fifth of his reign. The Duchess of Portsmouth played her role to the end: during the life of Charles II, she forced him to change the oath given to the people, and on his deathbed she convinced him to change his religion. At her insistence, the king, dying, confessed to a Catholic, almost Jesuit priest, and the Duchess of Portsmouth said with tears after his death: “For all the mercies of my late benefactor, I saved his soul, converting him from heresy and returning him to the bosom of the one-saving church! »
CHARLES II Stuart CHARLES II Stuart
CHARLES II Stuart (29 May 1630, London - 6 February 1685, ibid.), king of England and Scotland from 1660. Eldest son of Charles I Stuart (cm. CHARLES I Stuart) and Henrietta Maria of France, daughter of Henry IV of Bourbon (cm. HENRY IV Bourbon). The proclamation of Charles II as king meant the restoration of the monarchy in England.
At the beginning of the English Revolution (cm. ENGLISH REVOLUTION) Prince Charles of Wales was taken to Holland into the care of William II of Orange. After his father's execution in 1649, Charles was proclaimed the leader of the English royalists and Irish rebels who fought against the government of Oliver Cromwell (cm. CROMWELL Oliver). In the autumn of 1649, the Prince of Wales signed an agreement with the Scottish Presbyterians recognizing the Covenant (cm. COVENANT), was proclaimed King of Scotland. In response, Cromwell's troops invaded Scotland and defeated the Scottish army at the Battle of Denbar on September 3, 1650.
The Presbyterian government of Scotland fell, and Charles II united around himself Scots of different political and religious beliefs on January 1, 1651, he was crowned at Scone. Gathering a new army, he marched on England. But the inhabitants of the northern English counties did not join him, and on September 3, 1651, the army of Charles II was completely defeated in the battle of Worcester. Charles II himself narrowly escaped capture and was forced to hide for a month and a half before he managed to leave Britain and reach the continent.
Until Cromwell's death, the royalists' efforts were in vain. But his son and successor, Richard Cromwell, could not control the army, in which many were inclined to restore the monarchy. At the beginning of 1660, General Monck and his army occupied London, and the Long Parliament he restored (cm. LONG PARLIAMENT) declared illegal all the decisions adopted after 1648, including the bill on the abolition of the monarchy. And in May 1660, the new parliament decided to transfer power to Charles II. On May 29, 1660, the new king entered London.
Restoration
Charles II returned to England, providing his subjects with guarantees of the impossibility of returning to royal tyranny. In the Declaration of Breda, which he signed even before ascending the throne, he promised amnesty to all participants in the revolution, guaranteed ownership rights to the new owners of lands confiscated during the civil war, as well as religious tolerance. After the king's return, Parliament confirmed the provisions of the declaration by issuing a statute of amnesty, from which 30 people were excluded (republicans who had once sentenced Charles I to death).
Through a compromise, the issue of the redistribution of property that occurred in 1642-1660 was resolved: all lands confiscated in favor of the government were returned to their former owners, but those that were sold privately remained with the new owners. In this way, Charles II managed to partially return property to his supporters without simultaneously alienating those who had enriched themselves during the revolution.
Charles II defended the interests of the Church of England (cm. ANGLICAN CHURCH). Its ranks were purged of former Puritans (cm. PURITANS). In turn, the Anglican Church became a faithful support for the Stuarts. The day of the king's return to England, May 29, was honored as a holiday, along with January 30, the feast day of Charles I, which was celebrated with an annual fast. Charles II had no inclination to engage in public affairs, usually entrusting them to his ministers. In the early years of his reign (1660-1667), the prime minister was the Earl of Clarendon, Charles's comrade-in-arms since his exile. Then his government was replaced by the Cabal government, named after the first letters of the ministers' surnames. The king himself intervened only in matters of foreign policy, as well as in religious affairs, considering them his prerogative. But it was precisely these actions that gradually deprived him of the popularity that he enjoyed in the first years of his reign.
Anglo-Dutch Wars
Ever since the time of Cromwell, England entered into a protracted conflict with Holland, caused by the rivalry of two sea powers fighting each other for colonies and trade privileges. Having come to power, Charles II first continued the confrontation, which resulted in the Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665-1667. But military operations were not very successful for the British, and the country was suffering from the bubonic plague epidemic and the consequences of the London fire of 1666. Under pressure from public opinion, the king was forced to make peace with Holland and later, in 1668, enter into an alliance with it.
However, already in 1670, Charles II, who needed money to pay for the entertainment of his court, entered into a secret agreement with the French king Louis XIV (cm. LOUIS XIV Bourbon): in exchange for providing subsidies, the English king became an ally of France and pledged to oppose Holland. The Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672-1674) was extremely unpopular in English society; although the Dutch were rivals of the English merchants, they remained brothers in faith, unlike Catholic France. In addition, the British were rightly wary of excessively strengthening the power of France and depriving England of an independent role in political affairs.
Charles II and Catholicism
The religious policy of Charles II also caused concern among the British. The king himself remained an adherent of the Anglican Church, but in 1662 his wife became a Catholic - the Portuguese princess Catherine (1638-1705). Among the king's ministers and courtiers there were also many Catholics, and in 1668 the Duke of York, the younger brother and heir of the childless Charles II, converted to Catholicism. Many Englishmen, not without reason, suspected Charles II himself of Catholic sympathies. Therefore, all his attempts to repeal or suspend repressive anti-Catholic legislation were received with hostility.
In 1672, the king issued the Declaration of Toleration, which granted freedom of worship to Catholics and sectarians. It caused a protest from the majority of parliament and Charles II was forced to cancel the declaration. In addition, in 1673 Parliament passed a statute requiring any official or officer of the royal army to take an oath of allegiance to the Church of England. Many Catholics were forced to leave their posts, including one of the king's ministers, as well as the Duke of York, who headed the admiralty.
Having defeated the king, parliament intervened in foreign policy affairs. The new war with Holland did not bring victory to England and caused a financial crisis in the country. In 1674, Charles II was forced to conclude a peace treaty with Holland and married his eldest niece Maria to the ruler of Holland, William of Orange. (cm. WILLIAM III of Orange)(1677). But the authority of the king's government remained extremely low. The Cabal government collapsed, some of its members (Duke of Buckingham (cm. BUCKINGHAM George (son))) joined the ranks of the opposition.
The new government, headed by the Earl of Danby, tried to correct the situation and raise the prestige of the monarchy. The new minister managed to improve the country's finances; he also tried to create in the eyes of his subjects the image of a king - a defender of the Protestant faith. To do this, he again began to apply punitive laws against Catholics. However, it was impossible to dispel prejudices. The minister tried to break the unpopular alliance with France in the country, but he failed, and in 1678 he resigned.
The so-called discovery of the Catholic conspiracy in 1678 contributed to a further decline in the authority of the monarch and the court. Appearing before the Privy Council in August 1678, the former Catholic priest Titus Oates spoke about an alleged Catholic conspiracy to kill Charles II and place the Duke of York on the throne. Although the information reported by Oates was unreliable, it caused a wave of anti-Catholic hysteria in the country.
Fight against the Whigs
The parliament that met after the elections of 1679 consisted mainly of oppositionists - Whigs (cm. WIGI in the UK). In the wake of anti-Catholic sentiment, Parliament began considering a bill to deprive the Duke of York of his rights of succession to the throne as a Catholic. Charles II, ready to make compromises in order to maintain power, in this case went against parliament in the name of the principles of legitimism. He dissolved parliament and called new elections. But the new parliament of 1680 turned out to be rebellious and again returned to the bill against the Duke of York. Having dissolved parliament, the king called new elections and moved the meetings of the chambers to Oxford, famous for its royalism.
The Parliament of 1681 again consisted of Whigs, who also arrived in Oxford accompanied by armed supporters. It seemed that the country was on the verge of a new civil war. In this situation, Charles II dissolved parliament and did not convene again until the end of his reign.
In the last years of the reign of Charles II, his government, headed by Lord Hyde, and in fact the Duke of York, managed to suppress the Whig resistance. Its success was facilitated by the position of the country's population, which feared a repetition of the horrors of the revolution. Many accused the Whigs of exceeding their powers. The leadership of the army and most of the officers remained on the side of the king. Charles II deprived many cities of their charters, where the Whigs were especially influential, and appointed new judges from among the Tories.
Outside the walls of Parliament, the Whigs lost the legal opportunity to resist the king. Some of them switched to conspiratorial activities. In 1683, the so-called Republican conspiracy was discovered. Their ideologue, Whig Algernon Sidney, was executed, Whig leaders were forced into exile, and the opposition was disorganized.
During the reign of Charles II, England recovered from the turmoil of the mid-century. The country's economy experienced a period of rapid growth, which was facilitated by the development of the maritime fleet and the government's protectionist policies. The peaceful period contributed to the development of culture, especially the natural sciences. Charles II himself provided patronage to the Royal Society created in 1662 (cm. ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON), which united in its ranks the best scientists of the country (including Isaac Newton (cm. NEWTON Isaac)), who developed a new experimental science. The court of Charles II was distinguished by its love of the theater, and the Restoration became an era of revival of drama, so unpopular with the Puritans. The revival of English drama is associated with the names of Dryden (cm. DRYDEN John), Congriva (cm. CONGREVE William), Wycherley (cm. WICHERLEY William).
Despite the complexity of the political situation in the post-revolutionary period and the strong, sometimes militant opposition, Charles II managed to maintain his power. This was greatly facilitated by the personality of the monarch himself, who had the ability to win people over. Charles II was an intelligent and amiable man, with extraordinary personal charm. He loved festivities and knew how to communicate easily with ordinary people, who forgave him for his extravagance and endless love affairs (for which he received the nickname The Merry Monarch). The experience of exile taught Charles to find allies, take into account the interests of different political forces, and make compromises with his opponents, although in general he strove for unlimited power. In 1685, Charles II died and was buried in Westminster Abbey (cm. WESTMINSTER), in the chapel of Henry VII.
Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .
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