Questions about Stuart Restoration
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the Stuart Restoration happen and how did Charles II return to England?
The Stuart Restoration occurred in May 1660. Charles II left The Hague on the 23rd of May, landed at Dover on the 25th of May, and entered London on the 29th of May 1660, which was his thirtieth birthday. His return followed the Declaration of Breda issued on the 4th of April 1660 and the Convention Parliament's proclamation that he had been the lawful king since January 1649.
What happened to the regicides after the Stuart Restoration?
Twelve regicides were condemned to death; ten were publicly hanged, drawn, and quartered in October 1660 at Charing Cross and Tyburn. A further 19 were imprisoned for life. The exhumed bodies of Oliver Cromwell, Henry Ireton, and John Bradshaw were hanged in chains at Tyburn in January 1661. Three regicides, including Edward Whalley, William Goffe, and John Dixwell, escaped to the American colonies and were sheltered by New Haven, Connecticut.
What was the Cavalier Parliament during the Stuart Restoration?
The Cavalier Parliament first met on the 8th of May 1661 and sat for over 17 years, dissolving on the 24th of January 1679. It was overwhelmingly royalist and is also known as the Pensionary Parliament for the pensions it granted to the King's supporters. It oversaw the re-establishment of the Church of England through the Clarendon Code, including the Act of Uniformity 1662.
How did the Stuart Restoration change theatre and culture in England?
Theatres that had been closed under the Commonwealth reopened after 1660, and bawdy comedy flourished as a genre. Women appeared on the public stage as professional performers for the first time in England, and Aphra Behn became the first professional female playwright in English history. The Dutch Republic also presented Charles II with the Dutch Gift, a collection of old master paintings, classical sculptures, furniture, and a yacht.
What role did George Monck play in the Stuart Restoration?
General George Monck, the governor of Scotland under the Cromwells, marched south with his army on the 20th of October 1659 to oppose Fleetwood and Lambert, whose government had become unstable. His march caused Lambert's forces to dissolve, and Monck arrived in London unopposed. He organized the Convention Parliament that met on the 25th of April 1660 and ultimately proclaimed Charles II king.
How did the Stuart Restoration end and what replaced it?
The Restoration ended with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. On the 5th of November 1688, William of Orange arrived in England with a Dutch army after being invited by seven Protestant nobles. James II fled to France, and a Convention Parliament declared he had abdicated. William III and Mary II were declared joint monarchs, and the Bill of Rights 1689 established permanent limits on royal authority and barred Roman Catholics from the English throne.