A new exhibition held at the Queen Gallery in Buckingham Palace shed light on the man who restored the British monarchy in the 17th century, and placed importance on art after 11 years of republican rule.
The “Charles II Exhibition: Art & Power”, which will run until May 13, 2018, tells how the king returned in Britain to rule the crown in 1660, after 11 years under the Puritan Rule of Oliver Cromwell.
In the exhibition, visitors will realize the king's certainty of his parish’s eagerness to see glory and luxury returning to the royal court.
Like his father, Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 during the Revolution that ended the monarchy and established a Commonwealth under the leadership of the parliament ran by Cromwell, Charles II was an art lover who saw "the power of art" as a tool for his rule.
Since his ascension to the throne, Charles II quickly began to recall the art pieces that had belonged to the former royal court after they were distributed to various parts of the country and abroad.
By doing so, he laid the foundation for the current Royal Society of Art.
Needless to say, many paintings feature portraits of him, his wife Queen Catherine and many of his paramours.
