Catherine of Braganza and Charles

Charles had several illegitimate children, and was fertile but Catherine seemed to be unable to produce an heir.  She had at least 3 miscarriages and it became clear that she was not going to provide a son for the King.  Her religion also made her rather unpopular with the public.  

She gradually came to accept her husband’s infidelities with something like composure, and joined in some of the milder diversions of the court.  She is said to have popularised drinking of tea…

She was very devout, which pleased Charles, as he was sympathetic to the Catholic faith. He knew that many of his courtiers were wishing for him to divorce Catherine and find a wife who could give him a Protestant heir.   He refused, saying that his wife had done nothing wrong and he would not abandon her.

His Reign was not that successful.  There were several disasters such as the Wars with the Dutch, the Great Fire of London and the Plague.  But Charles managed Parliament much better than his father had done, though he was also naturally autocratic and a believer that Kings had the right to rule…

but he was much shrewder than his father and brother and was able to deal with Parliament,  rather than ending up at odds with it.  However his big problem as King was the hostility towards Catholicism which was seen as foreign and tyrannical… and the fact that his wife was unable to give him an heir which meant that James, his brother and a much more devout Catholic, was now his heir. 

more to follow....