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Charles II
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Charles II, 19th-century engraving by William Holl. Sprat, Thomas Charles II Charles II Sir Peter Lely: portrait of Charles II
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles to the crowd from Buckingham Palace (London, England) balcony at the end of the Platinum Pageant in London on June 5, 2022 as part of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations. The curtain comes down on four days of momentous nationwide celebrations to honor Queen Elizabeth II's historic Platinum Jubilee with a day-long pageant lauding the 96 year old monarch's record seven decades on the throne. (British royalty)
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Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon in Coronation Robes or Napoleon I Emperor of France, 1804 by Baron Francois Gerard or Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon Gerard, from the Musee National, Chateau de Versailles.
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Charles II, 19th-century engraving by William Holl.
Charles II, 19th-century engraving by William Holl.

Charles II

king of Great Britain and Ireland
Also known as: The Merry Monarch
Written by
Henry Godfrey Roseveare
Professor of History, King's College, University of London. Author of The Treasury: The Evolution of a British Institution.
Henry Godfrey Roseveare
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Charles II (born May 29, 1630, London—died February 6, 1685, London) was the king of Great Britain and Ireland (1660–85), who was restored to the throne after years of exile during the Puritan Commonwealth. The years of his reign are known in English history as the Restoration period. His political adaptability and his knowledge of men enabled him to steer his country through the convolutions of the struggle between Anglicans, Catholics, and Dissenters that marked...

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