Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth comes to an end soon after his death and in 1660 an exiled King returns to London with enormous fanfare. King Charles II’s reign is a dramatic shift away from the rule of the Puritans that preceded him but the dual tragedies of the worst outbreak of plague in generations and the Great Fire Of London strike the nation’s heart. The Wynn family of North Wales, having suffered under Cromwell, return to royal favour.

• William Simpson
• Cal Seville

• A.N. Wilson
• Kate Williams
• Charles Spencer