The Coronation of Charles II at Westminster Chapel

Charles I of England was executed in 1649, yet this fact notwithstanding, his son Charles II did not give up hope of ascending England's royal throne. His hopes came true only much later, in 1661, when he was crowned king. The coronation of Charles II and the entire coronation procession became a magnificent celebration of the restoration of the monarchy. Wenceslaus Hollar, who had returned to England from his Antwerp exile in 1652, portrayed the assembly and the coronation held in the chapel of the Westminster Abbey. Perhaps he regarded the act as new hope for re-entering the services of the English nobility and the royal court, a wish that was only partially fulfilled. Hollar later worked mainly for scholars, most of whom were members of the Royal Society, which King Charles II was instrumental in establishing.