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The Restoration period is known as probably the most bawdy era in English history. And who was it that ushered in this remarkable age? Why, the Merry Monarch himself, Charles II. In addition to having a great fondness for the ladies and the good life, Charles had many remarkable qualities. Here in our first episode of Season 2, we take a closer look at this loveable rogue and the times in which he lived.

Episode Edits:

• Charles had a stroke not months before his death but only about a week before his death.
• The William Penn Statue on top of City Hall in Philadelphia is the largest freestanding statue atop any building in the world.

Books:

• The Later Stuarts by Sir George Clark
• Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser
• The Columbia Companion to British History by Juliet Gardiner & Neil Wenborn
• The Pageant of Stuart England by Elizabeth Burton

 Film:

• Charles II: The Power and the Passion (2003) with Rufus Sewell
• Forever Amber (1947) with George Sanders and Linda Darnell