Charles II Stuart (St. James's, 1630 – London, 1685) was King of England from January 30, 1649 (de iure, the day his father Charles I anged)—or from May 29, 1660 (de facto, the year Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell's reign ended)—until his death on February 6, 1685, due to a sudden stroke.

Returning to England in 1660, Charles II's life as the new king would certainly not be easy: the last king—his father—had been executed, and the country was emerging from an unhappy parliamentary experience, which also resulted in the death of its symbol. Under these less-than-idyllic auspices, Charles nevertheless managed to establish a sound foreign and domestic policy, despite the numerous difficulties caused by the preceding, chaotic republican period and the frequent lack of state funds. While the conservative "Tory" party viewed Charles's reign as good and prosperous, the progressive "Whig" party viewed it as yet another era of despotism; in reality, the sovereign succeeded in bringing England to a period of relative stability and prosperity. English writer John Evelyn wrote of the sovereign that he had been a monarch with "great qualities but also many imperfections, cordial and affable, not desirous of blood, violence, and revenge."