

The upshot of all this was that at Whitehall, pleasure, entertainment and free love reigned supreme.

On his return to England, he brought many of the French trends with him, and turned the previously dry and plain English court into a hedonistic palace of pleasure.

While in exile, Charles had spent considerable time at the French court, which was notorious across Europe for its decadence and sexually active courtiers and ladies. Theatres were re-opened with women on the stage for the first time, public taverns were drawing in men and women from across society, the king and his courtiers brushed shoulders with the common folk in the city parks, and the court especially was host to raucous parties and illicit encounters. The arrival of the king saw London become the new fashionable, social hub of the country and the playground of the nobility. But for others some of the changes proved a little too extreme.Ĭharles II was nicknamed the ‘Merry Monarch’ for good reason indulgence, exuberance and pleasure became the new aspirations of the upper classes. His return to England was celebrated with street parties, bonfires, ceremonies and parade, and the royal procession through the streets of London and his coronation day were so successful that they were reported to have taken place without one drop of blood being spilled.įor many people the return of Charles represented a shift in the cultural and social landscape of England one that moved away from the old regimes, and towards a new way of modernity and prosperity. In 1660, to the fanfare of public joy and excitement, Charles II returned from his long stay in exile to be crowned king. But now, their prince had returned, and Charles II ascended to his throne on the wave of support for the monarchy that had been abolished just eleven years earlier. The country had been shaken by the English Civil Wars, the execution of Charles I, and the puritan Interregnum and military rule of Oliver Cromwell. The Restoration, a term used to mark the re-establishment of the monarchy in 1660 after the Interregnum and parliamentary rule, often includes the entirety of Charles II’s reign, which ran from 1660 – 1685. Forget the Tudors, the Stuarts are where it’s at for scandal, betrayal, and power trips… not to mention a healthy dose of sex, adultery and illegitimate children! The Restoration This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Charles II is one of the most enigmatic and colourful monarchs in British History. and Commonwealth soldiers did in both world wars.”Ĭopyright 2022 The Associated Press. “All of us will also be thinking of those brave Ukrainians who are fighting for their very own survival to defend freedom and democracy for all, just as the U.K. “We must never forget those who gave their lives in defense of our values and our great nation,” said Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Officials said this year’s service is dedicated both to fallen soldiers in wars past and to Ukrainians fighting against Russia’s invasion. It marks the moment the guns fell silent in 1918 at the end of World War I. 11 with the wearing of poppies and a national two-minute silence observed at 11 a.m. on the closest Sunday to Armistice Day on Nov. Remembrance Sunday is marked every year in the U.K. Many thousands thronged the streets of London to watch the occasion and join in the silence, though they applauded when 10,000 veterans later marched past. Other royals, including the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Wessex, as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the leader of the opposition also laid wreaths. The veterans, with brightly shined shoes and medals gleaming on their lapels, watched Charles lay a newly designed wreath of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph, London’s war memorial.
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She had served as a mechanic and truck driver during the last months of World War II, and continued to join the annual commemoration in London well into her 90s. Their number gets fewer each year – adding poignancy to the appearance of Charles, leading the ceremony for the first time since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September. LONDON – The U.K fell silent for two minutes on Remembrance Sunday as King Charles III led the nation in honoring servicemen and women who lost their lives in past conflicts.īig Ben chimed 11 times to mark the start of the silence as thousands of veterans, including some who had served during the World War II looked on solemnly under gray London skies.
