The Book of Royal Useless Information: A Funny and Irreverent Look at the British Royal Family Past and Present

This kind of crew used to be obvious in Charles’s condo taking part in basset with a financial institution of approximately £2,000 in gold simply six days sooner than the King had a stroke which was once to turn out deadly. To facilitate his romantic intentions, Charles II had to get rid of from the scene Frances Stuart’s husband, Lord Richmond, who for that reason unexpectedly chanced on himself promoted to an English ambassador and despatched overseas. quickly afterwards, Richmond obtained inebriated and slipped from the gangway of a boat. He died of hypothermia. Charles, discovering that the name of Lord Richmond used to be back on hand, bestowed it at the son of his mistress Louise de Keroualle. At one aspect within the 1670s, Nell Gwyn came upon she had a rival for the King’s affections: Louise de Keroualle, who was once nicknamed ‘Fubbs’ as a result of her overweight cheeks. In 1681, on the detailed second that Parliament (led via the Whigs) used to be approximately to vote on no matter if Monmouth used to be a sound inheritor to the monarchy, Charles II seemed in complete regalia, together with his new crown, and dissolved Parliament. there have been not more parliaments in his reign. on the age of fifty four, on 1 February 1685, Charles II suffered a stroke. He refused to obtain the sacrament of the Church of britain and persuaded his French mistress to smuggle in a Catholic priest. notwithstanding, he lingered for 6 days. His penchant for noblesse oblige was once published through the interval it took him to die. He made widespread apologies for protecting everybody ready. Charles II switched over to Catholicism on his deathbed. On his deathbed, Charles stated to his brother: ‘Be good to Portsmouth [meaning Louise] and permit now not terrible Nelly starve. ’ James – now king – paid Nell Gwyn a pension until eventually her dying years later on the age of 36. Her property went to her son, Charles, the Duke of St Albans. After Charles II’s loss of life, his spouse Catherine went again to Portugal, the place she turned Regent. She presided over numerous victories opposed to Spain. ******* James II used to be born at St James’s Palace and was once the more youthful brother of Charles II, who, with such a lot of illegitimate sons, had no rightful inheritor. Years previous, first and foremost of the Civil struggle, whereas nonetheless the Duke of York and elderly 14, he used to be positioned below condo arrest at St James’s Palace. He disguised himself as a woman with a wig and a in particular made gown of combined mohair with a scarlet petticoat beneath, and dressed hence he escaped and boarded a barge sure for Gravesend and thence to Holland. while James was once in exile on the court docket of Louis XIV in France, Madame de l. a. Fayette acknowledged of him: ‘A baby of 7 wouldn't make such foolish errors as he does. ’ He didn't achieve a name for his wit and intelligence. He succeeded as King of britain on the age of fifty one. He lasted in basic terms 3 years. whilst William of Orange arrived in London in 1688, James quietly sailed away. On his accession, James II turned a Catholic and believed he used to be entitled to absolute energy. due to his persecution of the Protestants he used to be hated via the folks. He threw out anti-Catholic masters from the schools and officials from the military and changed them with Catholics.