‘To Catch a King’ by Charles Spencer

One of the great advantages of reading outside one’s normal, natural and accustomed comfort zone, as was the case for me with Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Woodstock’, is that it leads you to other books that are much more interesting.

Having read his (very) fictionalised account of an episode set during the future Charles II’s escape to France after the Battle of Worcester in September 1651, I found myself pretty desperate to read an accurate historical account setting out what really happened. Charles Spencer (ie: Princess Diana’s brother) wrote this wonderfully accessible narrative back in 2017, and it was exactly what I needed.

Needless to say the real story is just as gripping and fascinating as any novel could ever be and I am very surprised that this has not yet been turned into a blockbuster period drama.

Charles and his troops were utterly routed by Cromwell’s New Model Army at Worcester on 3rd September 1651 in what would turn out to be the last battle of the English Civil War. The fighting mainly took place on the south side of the city, meaning that his only route to possible safety was to head north on horseback towards Staffordshire, hoping that he would not be recognised – not so easy as he was over six feet tall at a time when that was very unusual. He managed it though, finding sympathisers who were prepared to risk their lives hiding him and helping to convey him from safe house to safe house as over six weeks he made his way south and onto a boat bound for safety in France. There was a £1000 bounty on his head (worth well over £100,000 in today’s money, but vastly more in terms of what that might actually buy you), so the odds against him evading capture were slim.

He spent a lot of nights in barns and priest holes, famously spending a day up an oak tree in Boscoble Woods observing republican soldiers below searching for him. He adopted various disguises, learning how to dress talk and walk like a servant. There were all manner of setbacks en route, but eventually after a false start, he got away on small fishing vessel from Sussex via the Isle of Wight to France. It is a rattling good story, and one which a lot is known about mainly thanks to Samuel Pepys writing it all down after having lengthy conversations about it with the King himself.

Charles lived in exile for nine years, returning to Britain in 1660 to something of a hero’s welcome where he would reign as ‘the merry monarch’ for twenty-five years, completely reshaping our national culture in the process. He also made ample provision for all those who had aided his escape in 1651, ensuring that they (or their heirs) got preferment, honours, pensions or all three following the Restoration.

This was a wonderfully entertaining read from start to finish. popular history at its absolute best.