Charles II of England was a "de facto" republic, led by Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell defeated Charles II at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, and Charles fled to mainland Europe. Cromwell became virtual dictator of England, Scotland and Ireland. Charles spent the next nine years in exile in France, the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Netherlands. A political crisis that followed the death of Cromwell in 1658 resulted in the restoration of the monarchy, and Charles was invited to return to Britain. On 29 May 1660, his 30th birthday, he was received in London to public acclaim. After 1660, all legal documents
HMS Dreadnought (1660) HMS Dreadnought (1660) HMS "Dreadnought" was a 52-gun third-rate ship of the line, in service with the Royal Navy from 1660 to 1690. The ship was originally launched in 1654 under the name Torrington for the navy of the Commonwealth of England. Her builder was shipwright Henry Johnson at Blackwall Yard, London. She was named for the Parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Torrington in 1646. She was renamed "Dreadnought" after the Restoration in 1660. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 62 guns. After an active career in both the Second Dutch War and Third Dutch War, "Dreadnought"