Charles II : Royal Politician

First published in 1987, Charles II argues that the conditions affecting government and political activity changed constantly through the reign creating new situations and new sets of problems for the restored monarch and his servants. Charles and his ministers found themselves under almost constant pressures from the parliament, the Church, foreign states and organized public opinion that differed essentially from those encountered by previous rulers. These pressures proved to be the most important influence on Charles, making him concentrate almost entire on short-term tactics and eventually engage in complex manoeuvring to outwit the leaders of the first two political parties, the Whigs and his own Tory auxiliaries. The conditions affecting government differed sharply from one phase of Charles’ reign to another. Professor Jones charts the attitudes and the extent of Charles’ involvement in administration and politics from his exile through the Restoration, his relationships with Clarendon, Buckingham and Danby, the ‘Cabal’ of 1668-73, the mixed administration from 1679 and the contest with the Whigs to his personal rule during the last four years of his reign. This book will be of interest to students of history and literature.