King Charles II (1630-1685) [Orlando, Chapter 6, pp. 301] was a monarch in the 17th century who was briefly mentioned in Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. His role is minimal in the story as he is just mentioned in the list of the lineage of monarchs that slept in the royal bed sharing sheets. Though the mention of King Charles II has no impact on the plot of the novel, it does demonstrate the intimate knowledge and connection Orlando had with the royalty as he lists their names without proper titles: “Elizabeth; James; Charles; George; Victoria; Edward; no wonder the sheet had a hole in it.”

King Charles II was the offspring of King Charles I who was executed due to a civil war caused by political turmoil. King Charles II left two years prior to the execution of his father but returned when offered the role of King after 11 years of interregnum. His reign began in 1661 and is recognized as the mark of the period of restoration. After Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the country, died, the nation turned to King Charles II for his leadership and re-establishment of monarchy. King Charles II agreed to honor the Petition of Right which asked for recognition of the violations that King Charles I committed: no taxation without parliament consent, no incarceration without cause, no housing of soldiers on subjects, and no martial law outside of wartime. In 1679, King Charles II dissolved parliament because of their critique and anti-Catholic agenda. In 1670, King Charles II signed a treaty with King Louis XIV to convert to Catholicism to which he followed through on his death bed on February 6, 1685. (279) 

“Charles II (r. 1660-1685).” Royal.UK, Royal.UK, https://www.royal.uk/charles-ii. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023.

“Charles II of England.” Biography, Biography, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.biography.com/royalty/charles-ii-of-england.