The ascension of Charles II to the British throne in 1660 marked the end of the English republican eraand the start of a period of unparalleled hedonism among the English ruling elite. The reader is first given the astonishingand often shockingdetails of Charles IIs youth, including his parents desperate but ultimately fruitless attempts to retain the throne. That sad tale ended with Charles Is public execution, and the imprisonment or exile in France of his family. Charles IIs reign was marked by a series of major foreign and domestic political upheavals, which, despite their gravity, amazingly did nothing to shake the monarchys position in society. This was the time of the Great Fire of London, the worst outbreak ever of the plague, the Second AngloDutch warand the continuing religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. The author shows how Charles IIs popularity was unaffected by his overtly sham marriage to the Portuguese Catholic princess Catherine of Braganzawho the king described as a "bat, not a woman," his alleged sympathies for the Catholic Church (suspicions which turned out to be justified), and even his scandalous personal life. The Queen produced no living heirs, but Charles IIs endless list of mistresseswhom he openly acknowledged, and which included at least one selfconfessed prostituteproduced at least twelve illegitimate offspring, many of whom were married off into the aristocracy. This is a remarkable story which provides a fascinating glimpse...

Binding: Hardcover;158 pages; Publisher: Blurb, Inc.; Classification: N/A; Weight: 504.65 g; Dimensions: N/A

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