60 - 85 : Charles II

court, personality, extravagance

Charles II mistresses were

Barbra Villiers, Duchess of Castlemaine, Nell Gwyn

Duchess of Catlesmaine

related to a CABAL member and Duke of Buckingham

Charles II court overview

* frivolour, promiscuous, informal
* behaviour of king undermined view of DROK
* high-profile catholics

no. high profile catholics in court reinforced idea of

popish conspiracy and doubt abt king’s own religious beliefs (time when inc. in anti-catholicism)

who was Charles’ mother?

Henrietta maria was a catholic

Members that were catholic at court

Henrietta Maria, James Duke of York, Earl of Bristol

James Duke of York was Charles’

brother

Charles had many children

but no legitimate so throne passed to James

where was court of Charles II?

whitehall, but mimicked the french style of his cousin Louis XIV in Versailles (authoritarian) with baroque architecture, painting and music

success of restored monarch because of Charles II : pragmatism

* focused on 'not going on ‘his travels again’ underpinned style of kingship and willingness to work with political nation
* was exiled during the interregnum

success of restored monarch because of Charles II : character

open character = play role of personal monarch and keep in contact with PN and subjects to function : expand

success of restored monarch because of Charles II : political opponents

ruthless with political opps (licencing acts), willingness to use ministers to own ends e.g. Clarendon = success to maintain his position

which ministers did he use as a scapegoat?

Clarendon, the CABAL, Earl of Danby

CII foreign policy

* pro french
* wanted financial aid off them

Secret Treaty of Dover

* E + F would attack dutch
* successful war = take some of dutch republic
* declare himself catholic
* £225k per year

why was secret treaty of dover dangerous for charles?

* less reliant on parliament subsidies = possibility of another personal rule
* changed constitutional relationship w parliament
* declaring catholic could provoke rebellion
* could endanger english FP by making ti public

Why was Charles’ Foreign policy a failure?

* Dutch fought successful propaganda war which divided Crown and parliament
* Dutch wars was overwhelmingly unsuccessful
* \

1678 Ralph Montagu and France

revealed to parliament Charles had been negotiating a secret treaty with Louis XIV

March 1672

war on the Dutch which had less successful naval encounters and was unpopular with the protestants in England

1673 pamphlet

England’s Appeal from the Private Cabal at Whitehall to the Great Council of the Nation

England’s Appeal from the Private Cabal at Whitehall to the Great Council of the Nation

drove home message of ‘France, popery and absolutism’ was widely distributed

Dutch propaganda war

showed that Charles’ close relationship w France = catholic threat

why was Charles under pressure by the Dutch war?

* pressure by major trading companies such as East India trading company
* no need for war, economy doing well and the war disrupted trade

Charles’ involvement in 2nd and 3rd Dutch war

* 1666 French and Danish war against England, wouldnt win
* 1667 Medway incident = turning point

1667 medway incident

Charles’ marriage to Cathrine

never gained much and Parliament refused to support the alliance

Successes of Charles I : Declaration of Breda

could argue that whilst Monck drafted dec was a political success for charles to gain English support, wanted to remove C II from catholic associations

Dec of Breda issued in

Protestant Holland not Catholic France (monck advised him to move)

nonconformists/dissenters

those who felt unable to attend church regularly or take anglican communion