ABSTRACT
Context. The death of Charles II at the age of 54 was unexpected. He suddenly fell ill on the morning of Monday 2 February, probably of a kidney disease. After emergency treatment his condition improved, and on Tuesday he was thought to be out of danger, but there was a relapse on Wednesday evening. His doctors treated him through blood-letting, blistering, and the use of cantharides, which caused considerable pain. The death-bed was attended by the King’s brother James, Duke of York, his wife Queen Catherine, and his various illegitimate children, together with many court officials. On the Thursday night Charles was secretly received into the Roman Catholic Church and given the last sacrament by Father Richard Hudleston, who had helped him in his escape from the Battle o f Worcester in 1651. He died at noon on Friday 6 February. The King’s illness was announced in the London Gazette mmv (2-5 February 1685), and his death in issue mmvi (5-9 February): O n Monday last in the morning our late Gracious Soveraign King Charles the Second was seized with a violent Fit, by which his Speech and Senses were for some time taken from him, but upon the immediate application of fitting Remedies He returned to such a condition as gave some hopes of His Recovery till Wednesday night, at which time the Disease returning upon him with greater violence, he expired this day about Noon’. A good account of the King’s death is provided by Evelyn’s Diary for 4-6 February. Contemporary descriptions are used as the foundation for Raymond Crawfurd’s narrative, The Last Days of Charles I I (1909). Not used by
Crawfurd is the anonymous A True Relation of the Late Kings Death [1685], which is primarily interested in the King’s receiving of the Roman Catholic sacrament from Fr Hudleston.
