A 2017 work “To Catch A King: Charles II’s Great Escape” deals with the abolition of the monarchy and the reign of Charles II after restoration. Charles had been forced into exile in Normandy and Spanish controlled Southern Netherlands after his father, Charles I was executed following the English Civil War. On page 287, Earl Spencer writes: “By early 1685, nearly a quarter of a century into his reign, Charles II’s life was one of unashamed self-indulgence. The fifty-four-year-old monarch had huge appetites for luxury, for food, for drink, and for women. Some of his subjects called him ‘Old Rowey’ in reference to one of the more fertile stallions in the royal stables.

“Charles had no legitimate heirs, because Catherine (of Braganza, Queen consort) was unable to produce them. But the dozen children he had sired by seven of his mistresses were acknowledged, and indulged with varying degrees of tiles and extravagance.”

Charles would pass away later that year, and be replaced by his younger brother James II as King of England, Scotland and Ireland.

James would go onto be deposed in the Glorious Revolution and be replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband William III of Orange.

The King had suspended English and Scottish Parliaments for refusing to repeal anti-Catholic tests acts and he was the last Catholic King of England.

The monarchy had been abolished after Parliamentarians had won the English Civil War, which saw Oliver Cromwell installed as Lord Protector of the new Commonwealth of England.

Mr Cromwell saw the banning of sports, theatre and the public celebrating of religious festivals such as Christmas, historians have also criticised him for harsh policies towards Ireland.

Richard Cromwell succeeded his father as Lord Protector.

The younger Cromwell resigned and the Governor of Scotland grew concerned at the anarchy that followed.

He marched his army into London to demand Parliament re-admit members excluded for not supporting the parliamentarian New Model Army, after this parliament dissolved itself, an election was held.

The new predominately royalist Convention Parliament restored Charles to the throne.

Earl Spencer was born in 1964 to John, 8th Earl Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd.

The Queen was his godmother and Diana was his elder sister.

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He was a member of the House of Lords from the day his father died in 1992 until the House of Lords Act 1999.

Earl Spencer would go on to give a eulogy at his sister’s funeral.

His seventh child was named Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer after his sister.

He explained: “We hadn’t settled on a first name before the birth, but Charlotte is a name we both loved, and it really suits her.

“We knew that as soon as we saw her. And though it’s been 15 years since Diana died, I still miss her every day and I wanted her commemorated in the naming of our daughter.”

Her mother is Canadian social entrepreneur Karen, Countess Spencer.

Karen is his third wife after former fashion model Victoria Aitken and Caroline Freud.

Earl Spencer attended the wedding of both of his sister’s sons.

In 2011, he witnessed the marriage of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge before attending the wedding of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex last year.

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