The Private Life of Charles the Second

Considered by Queen Victoria one of the most attractive of her predecessors, Charles II was the merriest monarch to ever sit upon the throne of England.

Born in 1630, Charles was the oldest surviving son of Charles I, but his life was plunged into chaos by the Civil War, and he was just fifteen when he departed England for safety.

Young as he was when he went into exile, Charles nevertheless amply displayed a fatal fascination for the opposite sex that would come to define his reign, and his life.

For over thirty years Charles committed “pleasant thefts of love,” fathering at least dozen children by his many mistresses, but his obvious care for them is cause for remembrance.

Openly acknowledged, many went on to become prominent in society yet none were legitimate and so, on his death in 1685, Charles was succeeded by his brother, James.

First published in 1927, Dasent offers a restoration of balance, for although he focuses on Charles’ fugitive amours he pertinently notes how misdeeds have overshadowed his finer qualities, such as his strengthening of the Navy and a quest for religious freedom.