The Restoration of the monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the government of occupation that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The term Restoration may apply both to the actual event by which the monarchy was restored, and to the period immediately following the event.
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With the collapse of the The Protectorate in England during May 1659 the republic which had been forced upon Scotland by Oliver Cromwell quickly began to crumble. The occupying forces in Scotland lay in the hands of General Monck. He engaged in discussion with the royal court during the summer of 1659 but made no promises, particularly after the failure of Booth's revolt.
Monck indicated his support of parliament rather than the new radicals in the army in England. Distrusting Monck the English Committee of Safety sent General Lambert to negotiate, Lambert camped at Newcastle but his army began to desert. Officers loyal to Monck sezied Dublin Castle in December 1659 strengthening Monck's hand. On 24 December he ceased negotiations with Lambert. On the 1 January 1660 Monck crossed the River Tweed at the village of Coldstream and marched on London. Lambert's forces vanished before him and Monck occupied London on 3 February 1660. There, Monck would oversee the transformation of the republican parliament into the English Convention Parliament. In March 1660 Monck entered into discussion with Charles II to ensure his return to all his thrones.
Charles II bestowed on Monck the title Duke of Albermarle in gratitude for his part in the Restoration.
Charles was proclaimed King again on 14 May 1660. He was not crowned having being previously crowned at Scone in 1651. The Restoration "presented an occasion of univeral celebration and rejoicing throughout Scotland"[1].
Charles II summoned his parliament on 1 January 1661, which began to undo all that been forced on his father Charles I of Scotland. The Rescissory Act 1661 made all legislation back to 1633 'void and null'[2].
In 1661, 29 May was made a public holiday.
The Earl of Middleton and the 9th Earl of Glencairn were initially the main political figures in the Restoration. In 1663 The Earl of Lauderdale was made Secretary of State and rapidly became the predominant political figure of the Restoraton period.
After Monck's death in 1670 his regiment was renamed the Coldstream Guards.
On the 9 September 1662 the Scottish parliament passed the Act of indemnity and oblivion. It was a general pardon for most types of crime that may have been committed by Scots, between 1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the act calls "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum).[3]
The Act was structured in a similar way to the English Indemnity and Oblivion Act 1660, it legislated for a general pardon with exceptions, but (like Cromwell's Act of Grace) it contained many more exceptions than the English act. The act did not reverse the provisions of any previous act passed by the same Scottish Parliament or the provisions of the Committee of Estates passed since August 1660. It explicitly mentions the of forfeitures of "Archibald Campbell, late marquis of Argyll, Archibald Johnston, sometime called Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston, John Swinton, sometime called of Swinton, James Guthrie, William Govan, John Home and William Dundas, James Campbell, sometime called of Ardkinglas and James Campbell, sometime called of Orinsay".[3] An additional act called the Act containing some exceptions from the act of indemnity was passed that included heavy fines for about 700 former adherents to the Covenant. The exceptions act specified that if an excluded person did not pay the fines by the date specified he (they were all men) would lose the benefit of the general pardon, but on timely payment he would "enjoy the benefit of his majesty's pardon and indemnity to all intents and purposes".[4][5]
A few members of the previous regime were tried and found guilty of treason. Some were executed: Archibald Campbell (8th Earl of Argyll, beheaded May 27, 1661), James Guthrie (c.1612 – 1 June 1661) hanged along side Captain William Govan (died 1 June 1661), and Archibald Johnston (Lord Warriston hanged 22 July 1663).[5][6][7][8][9] John Swinton (1621?–1679) was condemned to forfeiture and imprisonment in Edinburgh Castle, where he remained for some years before being released.[10]. In 1661 John Home of Kellow had is estates sequestrated for being with the English army against the King's army at the battle of Worcester in 1651.[11] After the Glorious Revolution of 1688 the estates were restored to his son Gorge.[12]
The most controversial aspect of the Restoration was the religious settlement. It had been hoped that Charles would implement a Presbyterian settlent, Charles having agreed to the Solemn League and Covenant under the Treaty of Breda (1650). However, Charles instructed his privy council to restore the Bishops, and a proclamation was issued in September 1661; during the parliamentary session of 1662 the Church of Scotland was restored as the national Church and all office-holders were required to renounced the Covenant[13]. Whilst the King would later grant two Indulgences, giving some measure of religious toleration, it was followed by the Conventicle Act 1670 which was aimed at the resisting Presbyterians. Charles later brought an armed force of Scottish Highlanders to bear against the Presbyterians in 1678, but with little long-term effect.