King Charles II

The undated graphic sheet features a portrait of King Charles II. His father King Charles I of England (House of Stuart) was executed in 1649, after the English Civil War (1642-1651) broke out in the country. During that time, Charles II lived in exile, at French aristocratic courts, in the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Southern Netherlands. After the monarchy was restored in England, he returned to his homeland with great pomp and was crowned king in a festive coronation in 1661. On account of his support of France, he brought the country into conflict with the United Provinces. During his years spent in France, Charles II indulged in hedonistic manners, and his personal life was strewn with a number of affairs. This fact notwithstanding, the enlightened sovereign was an avid patron of the arts and sciences.