The Restoration of the Stuarts, 1659–60 (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
The Restoration of the Stuarts, 1659–60
Monck's intervention and the collapse of military rule
General George Monck emerged as the central figure in facilitating the restoration of the monarchy. A professional soldier who had served in Ireland and Scotland, Monck commanded the army in Scotland during the late 1650s. By 1660, he had concluded that continued military government was unsustainable.
In his own words, Monck declared himself "engaged ... to assert the liberty and authority of Parliament, to see my country freed from that intolerable slavery of a sword government."
The collapse of army morale proved decisive in opening the path to restoration. Without a functioning military force willing to enforce republican government, no institutional barrier remained to prevent the return of the Stuarts. This created a power vacuum that demanded urgent resolution.
Popular sentiment had shifted markedly towards monarchy. Widespread backing for royal government convinced Monck that restoration represented the only viable solution. The question was not whether Charles II would return, but under what terms this would occur.
Despite public pressure for swift action, negotiations over constitutional arrangements remained unresolved - the wars of the 1640s had been fought precisely over such issues.
The recall of Parliament and the path to elections
Charles II returned to England with no binding commitments to fulfil. This absence of preconditions resulted from the actions of two men: Monck himself and Edward Hyde, who would later become Lord Clarendon.
When Monck arrived in London, he retained some loyalty to the restored Rump Parliament (the remnant of MPs left after Pride's Purge in 1648). However, members of this assembly quickly undermined their own position. They ordered Monck to suppress anti-Rump demonstrations and questioned the legitimacy of Cromwell's commission appointing him to military command.
Monck's Decisive Response
Monck responded decisively in February 1660. He recalled the MPs who had been excluded in 1648, imposing one condition: they must vote to dissolve the Long Parliament and call free elections. This manoeuvre effectively ended the Rump's authority.
The Convention Parliament and the vote for restoration
Given public attitudes, few doubted that elections would produce a Parliament favourable to Stuart restoration. The outstanding question concerned the terms of Charles's return.
When Parliament assembled in April 1660, it became known as the Convention Parliament because no monarch had officially summoned it. Monck presented this assembly with a declaration issued by Charles Stuart from the Dutch port of Breda, where he had relocated on Monck's advice.
Declaration of Breda
The Declaration of Breda was an immensely skilful political document. Since Charles promised all that Parliament could reasonably have requested, it rendered preconditions for restoration impossible to impose.
The Declaration's Strategic Ambiguity
The declaration simultaneously made no specific commitments to which the returning king would be bound. This careful wording gave Charles maximum flexibility while appearing to offer Parliament everything it wanted.
The declaration offered several promises:
- Harmony and reconciliation with Parliament
- No punishment for actions during the war and Interregnum, except for those who had signed Charles I's death warrant (the regicides)
- A settlement of outstanding issues to be worked out in partnership with Parliament
Strategic Location Matters
Hyde had drafted this document on Monck's advice. Its careful construction served to distance Charles from Catholic associations that had caused his father such difficulty. For this reason, the declaration was issued from Protestant Holland rather than Catholic France, where Charles had been residing before Monck advised the move.
Charles II's return and the assertion of Divine Right
On 5 May, Parliament voted that government would be by King, Lords and Commons. On 25 May, Charles II landed at Dover to a tumultuous reception.
Charles's Provocative Claim
Charles made a telling claim upon his arrival. He stated he was taking up his throne "in the twelfth year of his reign". This assertion carried profound implications. By dating his reign from his father's execution in 1649, Charles was claiming that he had been the legitimate monarch throughout the Interregnum.
Whatever MPs might believe about the terms of his restoration, Divine Right monarchy had returned - at least in Charles's own conception of his authority.
The restoration occurred without the constitutional safeguards for which Parliament had fought during the Civil Wars. Whether this settlement would prove stable remained to be seen.
Timeline of events, 1659-60
October 1659: The army replaced the Rump with a Committee of Safety; Monck declared his support for the Rump.
November 1659: Lambert failed in his attempt to raise forces against Monck.
December 1659: Anti-army riots erupted in London; Monck moved his army to the border with England; the Navy declared for the Rump. On 26 December, Fleetwood recalled the Rump.
1 January 1660: Monck's army marched into England and arrived in February; his journey south was marked by demonstrations and petitions favouring free elections.
9-11 February 1660: Monck ordered action against anti-Rump demonstrations in London.
21 February 1660: Excluded members returned to Parliament.
March 1660: Lambert was imprisoned in the Tower of London; the Long Parliament dissolved itself.
25 April 1660: The new Parliament assembled, known as the Convention Parliament because it was not called by a monarch.
1 May 1660: The Declaration of Breda was presented to Parliament.
5 May 1660: Parliament voted that government should be by King, Lords and Commons.
25 May 1660: Charles II landed at Dover.
Key Points to Remember:
- Army morale collapsed in 1659, removing the final obstacle to restoration and creating conditions for Monck's intervention.
- Monck engineered the recall of excluded MPs in February 1660, who voted to dissolve the Long Parliament and call free elections.
- The Declaration of Breda promised reconciliation and cooperation with Parliament but avoided specific binding commitments, making preconditions impossible.
- Charles II claimed to be in "the twelfth year of his reign" when he landed in May 1660, asserting continuity of Divine Right monarchy throughout the Interregnum.
- The monarchy was restored without the constitutional safeguards for which the Civil Wars had been fought, leaving tensions unresolved.