Background to Absalom and Achitophel

A Background to the story of Absalom and Achitophel

The Restoration of the the Engl Englis ish h monar monarchy chy bega began n when when the the English,  English, Scottish and Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after II after the Interregnum that Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Kingdoms. The term Restoration term Restoration is  is used to describe both the actual event by which the monarchy was restored, and the period of several years afterwards in which a new political settlement was established.!"It is very often used to cover the whole reign of Charles II #!$$%&  !$'() and often the brief reign of his younger brother *ames II #!$'(+!$''). Charles II #- ay !$/% & $ 0ebruary !$'() was monarch of monarch of the three 1ingdoms of England, England, Scotland, Scotland, and Ireland and Ireland.. Charles II2s father, King Charles I, I, was e3ecuted at Whitehall on /% *anuary !$4-, at the clima3 of the English Civil War . 5ltho lthough ugh the 6arliament of Scotland proclaimed Scotland proclaimed Charles II King

of 7reat 8ritain

and

Ireland in Edinburgh on

$

0ebruary

!$4-,

the English

6arliament instead 6arliament instead passed a statute that statute that made any such proclamation proclamation unlawful. England entered entered the period 1nown as the English Interregnum or Interregnum or the English Commonwealth, Commonwealth, and the country was a de facto repub facto republic, lic, led by 9liver Cromwell. Cromwell. Cromwell defeated Charles II at the 8attle of  Worcester  on  on / September !$(!, and Charles fled to mainland Europe. Cromwell became virtual dictator of England, Scotland and Ireland, and Charles spent the ne3t nine years in e3ile in 0rance, the :nited 6rovinces and the Spanish ;etherlands. 5 pol politi itical cal cri crisis that hat fol followed owed the deat death h of Crom Cromwe welll in !$(' !$(' resul esulte ted d in the restoration of restoration of the monarchy, and Charles was invited to return to 8ritain. 9n - ay !$$%, his /%th birthday, he was received in