3.8 Charles II

Question 1

Personality of Charles II

Answer 1

• ‘Merry Monarch’
• Opportunistic
• Inconsistent
• Reckless
• Main goal was to remain on the throne

Question 2

Views on monarchy

Answer 2

Pragmatic king - dealt with things sensibly without annoying Parliament.

Question 3

Declaration of Breda

Answer 3

• 4 April 1660
• Produced to those who sought stability.
• Outlined that if he was restored, Charles would rule as a traditional monarch through Parliament.
• Promised the army its pay in arrears and a pardon to all his subjects apart from a few individuals.

Question 4

Free elections

Answer 4

• Produced the Convention Parliament 25 April 1660
• Removal of restrictions on who could vote.
• Elections produced a body of MPs that was more representative of the PN.

Question 5

Convention Parliament

Answer 5

• Essentially conservative and thereby Royalist.
• Half of the Parliament was made up of parliamentarians, but of many different political and religious views.
• Many of these aimed to restrict the king’s power before he returned.
• Royalists were naturally opposed to limitations on the returning monarch.

Question 6

Charles Stuart

Answer 6

• 8 May 1660 the Convention Parliament declared Charles Stuart as King Charles II.
• Desire for a return of order meant that the monarchy was restored without any serious consideration of imposing any constitutional limits.

Question 7

April 1660

Answer 7

• Charles was restored based on his general promises to rule as a traditional monarch.
• These promises were attractive to the majority of the PN as conservatives had felt increasingly alienated by and fearful of radicalism.
• Charles’ priority was to secure the throne.
• Restoration settlement was the work of the Convention Parliament and the Cavalier Parliament.

Question 8

Convention Parliament - Indemnity

Answer 8

• Parliament helped decide who should be excluded.
• In the indemnity debates, Royalists called for widespread vengeance.
• 30 men were excluded

Question 9

The Indemnity Act 1660

Answer 9

• Passed on 29 August 1660
• Was a pragmatic necessity for Charles, as he needed:
  1. The army to disband
  2. Money from the City of London
  3. Support of the political elite
• Despite the Indemnity Act, the Restoration was accompanied by the persecution of anyone seen as a threat to the restoration.

Question 10

Convention Parliament - Land settlement

Answer 10

• As a result of the revolution of 1649 the lands of bishops, Royalists, Catholics and the Crown were sold off.
• Purchasers had a vested interest in the Interregnum regimes and some were powerful so Charles had to be careful.