1651: Charles II makes his escape to France after losing to Oliver Cromwell
To understand why Charles II became Charles II of Scotland, but not immediately king of England, after his father Charles I was executed for treason, it is necessary to learn a little about the Parliamentarian and Roundhead, Oliver Cromwell and the battles he led against the Royalists or Cavaliers. The following chronology records the important events:
1600 Charles I was born
1625 Charles I became King of England after (James VI of Scotland and James I of England) his father's death. During the early years of Charles I's reign, there was war with Spain (1624-30) and war with France (1626-29). Charles was very devoted to the Church of England and asked parliament three times for money to fight these wars. However, the wars were unsuccessful. Parliament refused to help Charles I unless he signed an agreement stating that the king or queen could only make the people pay taxes with Parliament's permission. Charles continued to impose taxes on his subjects, but in 1629 Parliament passed three resolutions criticizing the king's behaviour.
1629 Charles I dissolved parliament, fearing a revolution. He did not call another parliament for 11 years, but went to war with the Scots (between 1639 and 1640) who refused to accept his Anglican prayer book.
1640 Charles I recalled parliament because he needed to raise a larger army to fight the Scots. The MPs refused to give the king the money he needed, so this Parliament ("the Short Parliament") lasted only from April to May. After losing several battles with Scots armies, which took control of parts of the north of England, in November 1940 Charles I called Parliament a second time. This Parliament ("the Long Parliament") lasted for 20 years and became very powerful.
1641 In October, Protestant settlers in Ireland (Ulster) were attacked by Irish Catholics. The king wanted money to fight the Irish Catholics, but Parliament wanted control of the army in case Charles I used it to attack them.
1642 In early January, Charles I led 400 men to the House of Commons (Parliament) to arrest five MPs for treason, but the MPs were warned and escaped. London became too dangerous for the king and his followers (the Royalists or Cavaliers) so he went with them to York in the north of England, leaving London in control of the Parliament supporters (the Roundheads).
1646 After several battles between the Parliamentarians (the Roundheads) and the Royalists (the Cavaliers) who were finally based in Oxford, Charles I's supporters were defeated and the king was captured. In 1647, Charles escaped from Hampton Court London, but was re-captured in the Isle of Wight. He was kept under close guard at Carisbrooke Castle on the island while the Civil War continued.
1649 Charles I tried for treason, sentenced to death and executed in front of Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Roundheads. Many Royalists still remained in Ireland and Scotland. Charles I's son, Charles II, was declared King of Scotland after his father's execution.
1650 Charles II landed in Scotland and raised an army of supporters loyal to the monarchy. Oliver Cromwell whose soldiers were known as the New Model Army defeated Charles II's forces first at Dunbar in September 1650 and finally a year later at Worcester in the middle of England.
1651 Having been defeated by Cromwell in September, Charles II, who was hunted by the Roundheads for 40 days, escaped to France, passing through Brighton before crossing the English Channel on a small sailing ship with two masts.
1658 When Oliver Cromwell died, he named his son (Richard) as his successor, but Richard Cromwell did not have the ability to run the country.
1660 Fed up with Richard Cromwell, Parliament decided to restore the monarchy and invited King Charles II to return from France. Although a Protestant, Charles II was more tolerant towards Catholics than his father. His Portuguese wife and many other members of his family were Catholics, but under the terms of the restoration greater power was given to The Church of England.
1701 The English Parliament passed the "Act of Settlement", which required all kings & queens of England to adopt the Protestant religion.
1772 "The Royal Marriage Act" was also passed, which prevented "unapproved marriages" by members of the Royal Family, including marriages to divorcees and people of the Catholic faith.
As Head of the Church of England, Brighton's Prince Regent (George IV) was unable to form a legal marriage with his true-love, Mrs Fitzherbert, who was twice widowed and a devout Catholic. Some people say that our current hier to the throne (Charles Windsor) was pressed into rejecting his true-love (Camilla) in favour of an "approved marriage" with Princess Diana. Camilla, who has become Charles's partner, is now a divorcee. Charles says that as king, he will show tolerance to a variety of faiths. It will be interesting to see whether law requires him to be head of the Church of England, whether he will re-marry and whether Camilla (who has been very loyal to him) will be accepted as queen. He may decide that it is unwise for him to re-marry as this might place Camilla in the limelight. I doubt that she would want to become queen if the job involved public hostility. Whatever their domestic arrangements, which may not place the Church of England in an easy position, Prince William will probably succeed King Charles III. Meanwhile, the Church of England may have to rethink its attitudes towards couples whose first marriages do not succeed, as these account for a substantial percentage of the population.
