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King Charles II

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Antonia Fraser

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King Charles II

Antonia Fraser

3.96 · Rating details · 583 ratings · 34 reviews

The acclaimed biographer details the life, reign, and impact of King Charles II of England, revealing him to have been far more serious, sensible, and competent than has been thought.

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Published by Futura Publishing Co Inc (first published 1979)

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Aug 25, 2019 Czarny Pies rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: european-history

"Royal Charles" is a fabulous book by one of the great historians of our time. As always Fraser judges the players severely but never applies the standards of a different era.

Charles II emerges as a very admirable King in Fraser's book. He understand what his role was and what limitations were imposed to him. He acted courageously during the Great Fire of London. He loved his wife, his many mistresses and his numerous bastards. He promoted architecture, science, horse-racing and the building of ...more

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May 24, 2012 Orsolya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, history, stuart-england, charles-ii

King Charles II may be the most “high and low” monarch in England’s history. Meaning, he suffered terribly with the beheading of his father, Civil War, exile, and the Great Fire. On the upside, he was restored and enjoyed courtly pleasures and mistresses. Antonia Fraser illuminates this ‘Merry Monarch’ in, “Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration”.

In traditional Fraser style, “Royal Charles” begins on a slow note in respect to the text featuring the surrounding atmosphere of Charles’s King Charles II may be the most “high and low” monarch in England’s history. Meaning, he suffered terribly with the beheading of his father, Civil War, exile, and the Great Fire. On the upside, he was restored and enjoyed courtly pleasures and mistresses. Antonia Fraser illuminates this ‘Merry Monarch’ in, “Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration”.

In traditional Fraser style, “Royal Charles” begins on a slow note in respect to the text featuring the surrounding atmosphere of Charles’s youth and hi s father Charles I versus a direct look at the future King. Many readers may even be enticed to skim these chapters until Part II (p. 81) if wanting to focus on Charles more in-depth. At this point, Charles comes to life and is much more in the foreground.

Fraser is the ‘Queen of Detail’ which is both a positive and a hindrance. The research is impeccable and astonishing when taken into consideration that “Royal Charles” was written before the ease of modern research. Yet, as in all of her works, Fraser strays from the main point often and tries to present the reader with every tidbit of information, ever. “Royal Charles” could have used a better editor to streamline the text.

Although “Royal Charles” is quite scholarly; there is an easy accessibility to the reading allowing for a steady pace. Fraser also avoids an over access of biases cluttering the text (although some personal opinions and overly descriptive/literary text is present).

“Royal Charles” is plumped up by some facts not mentioned elsewhere and the methodological debunking of myths displaying Fraser’s detective work and consequentially making “Royal Charles” more than just a rehashing of the history of Charles II. Although, the text could have used more of this stylized perspective.

A noticeable pattern in “Royal Charles” is Fraser’s penchant to follow a choppy discourse of discussing Stuart politics, into waxing poetic on Charles’s psyche, and then discussing household account books. Again, it seems that Fraser wanted to mention every bit of research that she herself discovered and didn’t know how to clear the viewfinder for the reader. This results in reader distraction and many slower moments within the text.

In the final chapters of “Royal Charles”, Fraser heartily and successfully concludes with solid information regarding the aftermath, lineage, and political events occurring during the last moments of Charles’s life. Particularly, the chapter describing the death of Charles is riveting, historically accurate, and tugs at the heart strings even as a nonfiction piece. The text then wraps up with Fraser mewing at Charles in a eulogy-type essay. Readers only interested in the pure history can skip this final chapter; however, it does provide a conclusive wrap-up.

Fraser includes a list of references and reference books while also infusing “Royal Charles” with two sections of photo plates.

“Royal Charles” is a very thoroughly researched and scholarly look at the reign of Charles II presented in typical Fraser style. The issue thereupon is merely that it is too much of a macro-view of Stuart politics and doesn’t truly bring Charles to light. The test is well-written but it simply doesn’t serve as a proper biography or portrait of this interesting Monarch. Despite this, “Royal Charles” is suggested for those readers interested in Charles II and Stuart England who must read everything about him because, sadly, there aren’t that many books out there.

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Aug 16, 2010 Jamie Collins rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history-and-biography, anglophilia

A very readable biography of a fascinating king, and a decent introduction to the politics and religious issues of the Restoration period.

The mini-series Charles II: The Power and the Passion (heavily edited and renamed The Last King in the US) appears to have been influenced by this book - Rufus Sewell mentions that he used the book as his guide for his portrayal of Charles. I enjoyed the series, although it's VERY annoying that an hour of footage appears to have been cut from the US version.

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Feb 03, 2016 Karen Brooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It is a literary accomplishment to write a detailed and well-researched biography so that it reads like a rollicking piece of great fiction. Antonia Fraser’s, King Charles II is, like her other fabulous historical non-fiction works, such a book. In this wonderful and erudite tome, she tells the tale of a monarch who, against a backdrop of religious, political and cultural upheaval, dissent and change, rises above the conditions of his early childhood and the untimely and savage death of his It is a literary accomplishment to write a detailed and well-researched biography so that it reads like a rollicking piece of great fiction. Antonia Fraser’s, King Charles II is, like her other fabulous historical non-fiction works, such a book. In this wonderful and erudite tome, she tells the tale of a monarch who, against a backdrop of religious, political and cultural upheaval, dissent and change, rises above the conditions of his early childhood and the untimely and savage death of his father, Charles I, and consequent exile, to restore the monarchy and an uneasy peace to England.

Known as the “merry monarch” (among other less favourable appellations) and for being lazy, lustful, debauched, dissolute and inclined to petticoat government, Fraser presents a different picture of this rather marvellous and fascinating king. Born to loving parents, Charles was given all that a young royal should be: a good education, belief in himself and his family, an understanding of the important role he was set to inherit, and an awareness of the religion he must adopt as his own: the Anglicanism of his father as opposed to the Catholicism of his mother.

Protected from much of what was occurring in the realm and beyond its borders, the execution of his father was a shock. First challenging Oliver Cromwell and his troops, Charles is later forced to flee England. His unbelievable flight (Fraser describes this period of his life wonderfully, claiming the truth is better than much of the fiction – she is right) allows for the rise and ultimate rule of the Protector, Cromwell and the period known as the Interregnum. Homeless and dependent on the grudging charity of his Scottish vassals as well as various rulers across the continent for many years and the loyalty of committed (if few) royalists, Charles, as Fraser argues, could not help but be affected both by what he endured (poverty, dependence, hunger, pain) and witnessed in the lives of others. These experiences would remain with him for the rest of his life.

Restored to the English throne in 1660 and returning by invitation of the Parliament that was only recently the enemy of the monarchy, Charles determines to be an arbitrator. For all the goodwill and gratitude Charles has, the return of the king also inspires opposition. Describing the rise of the Whigs and the development of the Tories, Fraser paints a picture of a city (London) and of a country slowly tearing itself apart with political and religious discord and suspicion and a monarch seemingly helpless to prevent it. Only, as the author acknowledges, he isn’t helpless at all. Learning from his mistakes, Charles uses whatever in his power to delay what he feels are poor decisions or the pressure of the Commons. Proroguing parliament many, many times, he manages (mostly, but not always) to avoid catastrophic results; procrastinating (like Queen Elizabeth First) becomes a strategy to exert benign control, a practising of what Fraser terms “negative capability". It is a stroke of brilliance that allows Charles II to have his way without accusations of absolutism sticking.

Weathering the storms of anti-Catholic sentiment and various plots and accusations against the throne, particularly those delivered towards his immediate family, lovers, and favoured retainers, as well as enormous debt and an inability to repay it, Charles II also had a reputation as a seeker of pleasure and an irreverent ladies man. The father of his people, he was also father to 12 illegitimate children from different women – nobles, actresses, and gentry. In fact, the only woman with whom he had a long relationship and who did not produce a child was his wife, Catherine of Braganza – a tolerant and devout woman who stood by Charles even after his death.

A good, interested father, and a well-regarded lover, Fraser argues that far from using women, Charles II adored and respected them. Allowing women on stage for the first time in English history, and encouraging female playwrights such as Aphra Behn, women, according to Fraser, held a better position in the seventeenth century than they did in the nineteenth. But it wasn’t only women who piqued his insatiable interest, Charles also supported science, music, landscaping, building and, importantly, was the monarch who ruled throughout the Plague that decimated a quarter of London’s population in 1665, and earned the undying admiration of his people when he fought side by side with them during the Great Fire of 1666.

There was much to esteem about Charles II and, if it hadn’t been for his wheelings and dealings with his cousin, Louis XIV, from whom he was promised money ensuring he wasn’t dependent on parliament for the same, his record (disregarding morality) as a tolerant (he tried to introduce Bills to allow religious toleration, but such was the anti-papist sentiment in the country, the Commons and Lords wouldn’t pass it) would have been relatively unblemished. Relatively.

Certainly, the popularity of the king rose and fell according to various goings-on at home and abroad – war with the Dutch, religious persecution, accusations levelled against his brother and queen and the choler and sustained antagonism levelled against him by figures such as Shaftesbury who could stir up both the gentry and the masses.

Overall, however, Fraser tries (and succeeds) in persuading us that far from being a “merry” monarch, Charles II was melancholy, “cynical and dissimulating”. He was simply able to hide it well and present, especially in the first decades of his reign, a contented, “lazy” face. But she also describes him as “witty and kind, grateful, generous, tolerant, and essentially lovable, he was rightly mourned by his people…”

Beautifully written, impeccably researched, peppered with quotes from dramatists and poets of the age, as well as from Charles II himself and those nearest and dearest to him (such as his wife and his mistresses like Nelly Gwyn), we are given insights into the man “born the divided world to reconcile,” this is a book and life that is difficult to tear yourself away from.

For lovers of British history or just history; for those wanting an insight into the tumultuous Seventeenth Century and an oft misunderstood but charismatic ruler who formed a bridge between the Interregnum and the events leading to James II’s fall, as well as those that changed the world (from colonial expansion, trade and the beginnings of factories, never mind religious division and dissent), this is a terrific book by a marvellous historian and writer. ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Debra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is the most sympathetic of the 3 bios I read on Charles II, but I don't think it sacrifices objectivity or the backing of researh or a paper trail. (At the bottom of my review I have a link so you see the 3 different biographies -- all scholarly and worth reading.)

What a complicated royal court the new Queen, Catherine of Braganza, found herself joining, for it was already established before her marriage to the King. It would not be wrong to say, Charles II was a rake, a predator with ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 H.J. Moat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I have to admit that when I started this book I had no particular attraction to Charles II - I've always been way more interested in England's Queens, because I think they had a lot more to prove and so were generally bigger characters. But I had been reading Antonia Fraser's diaries about her life with Harold Pinter and had come to pretty much worship the ground she walks on. So when I saw this, her first big historical biography, in a second-hand bookshop in Northumberland I was visiting with I have to admit that when I started this book I had no particular attraction to Charles II - I've always been way more interested in England's Queens, because I think they had a lot more to prove and so were generally bigger characters. But I had been reading Antonia Fraser's diaries about her life with Harold Pinter and had come to pretty much worship the ground she walks on. So when I saw this, her first big historical biography, in a second-hand bookshop in Northumberland I was visiting with my parents - I became convinced I was fated to read it.
I'm so glad I did.
The first part reads like an honest-to-God Hollywood movie. Charles grows up with a close, loving family who happen to English (and Scottish, technically) royalty and lives out his childhood in a sort of sun-dappled haze, which makes what comes next all the more brutal. I don't think it's spoiling anything to say that his father, Charles I, falls out with parliament and the civil war that breaks out culminates in his beheading (honestly, if you consider that a spoiler this book is not for you). The war lasted a lot longer than I realised, and by the end of it Charles II is an extremely dashing young man. He is 6'3, swarthy and Italian looking and a heroically brave soldier. The victorious Cromwell and his cronies aren't content with disposing of Charles I, they want to kill his son, Charles II too, to prevent him staging a rebellion and seizing the crown. Charles Jr then goes on the run (in his own country), hiding out with royalist allies, going undercover as a servant boy, and narrowly missing his would-be murderers by hiding in a tree. Charles's great escape to the continent is exciting stuff - it reminded me of the TV show Versailles, where the most shocking storylines are the ones that were actually true. So exciting, was the first third of the book, that I was able to forgive the rest being a mixed bag. It's not Fraser's fault, as a writer she is clear-headed but affectionate when it comes to her subject, and she uses just enough big words to give you the impression that you are bettering yourself by reading this, but not so many you feel like a dunce. I enjoyed learning about all of Charles's mistresses, who each were intriguing characters in their own right. I found his relationship with his wife, Catherine of Braganza interesting too - after some initial teething problems they had an unusual but ultimately successful marital arrangement. A large part of the book is dedicated to the matter of succession - everyone was completely obsessed with who would succeed Charles II. Because England at that time was pretty horrid to its Catholics (another long and drawn out subject within the book, though Charles was lovely and just wanted everyone to be able to live in peace with whatever religion they chose) a large section of the government were not into the idea of Charles's brother James, a converted Catholic and the rightful heir, succeeding the throne. So there were suggestions about Charles's reprobate bastard son Monmouth being legitimised, or drafting in his nephew William of Orange. There are many political tug-of-wars in the book, and I will be honest and say that they started to bore me a little, but history is history and you can't just leave out the dull bits. More satisfying was learning about Charles's relationships with his friends (so many good characters) and the touching bond he shared with his brother, with whom he fought with like only siblings can. In the end, what made this such a good read for me was Charles II himself. The 'Merry Monarch' was so much more than a figure of fun. He was smart and loyal and forgiving and human. When the Great Fire hit London he was out in the streets fighting it with his people. He restored joy to the country after a miserable, humourless Puritan reign (yeah, I'm not a Cromwell fan, I have to say). When I got to the last few chapters, I found myself crying in the run up to his death. That was about 400 pages pages in. This a long read but my word he is a man who can carry it. ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 Christie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, royalty, 17th-century, biography-memoir

Charles II fascinates me. I've read quite a bit about his various mistresses, but nothing about the king himself, so I thought this would be a good place to start. It was a very good book and well researched, but it went on for about 100 pages longer than it needed to. The author imparts every fact about Charles II and the people around him, which gives a lot of great history, but also bogs the book down. The political machinations that dethroned his father and then restored Charles II to the ...more

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Jun 23, 2013 Frederick Gault rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history, nonfiction

A jolly good read! At a time when England was discovering tea, science, government and banking, Charles II lead a life out of a fairy tale. His father beheaded, his kingdom siezed, Charles was a warrior prince, a pauper in exile after a daring escape from England and finally, unexpectedly returned to his throne to open the golden age of The Restoration. A more extraordinary life cannot be imagined; a wise ruler, a loving father, a decent husband (despite his notorious mistresses and swarm of ...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a very readable account of King Charles II. The ins and outs of British Royalty and politics can be hard to follow but the book lays it out pretty well. King Charles is a very interesting historical personage. If you want to understand English history, this is a great book. Antonia Fraser is a very good author.

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May 10, 2012 Kara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wow Wow Wow What a good book. The life of Charles II, mostly his political life. She definitely downplays the more sensational aspects. But that's okay, because presumably everyone already knows from all the other books. Very well done, I'm in tears here mourning Charlie's passing.

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Aug 26, 2019 Michael added it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

Fairly thorough overview of the monarch's life. Certainly a very favourably biography; Fraser rebuffs almost all criticisms of Charles. She also has a funny way of writing about the major events, kind of talking around them more than about them. Perhaps its out of the assumption that we already know what these major events are? Which of course is not going to be the case for all readers and certainly not for me. Still, a pretty informative overview of Charles' life nonetheless.

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Apr 18, 2019 Dorothy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved King Charles II / a colorful, vibrant King. I did not know much about him until this book ; it really upped my knowledge of the Restoration period.

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Dec 17, 2017 Angela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

what an amazing life he led. Wow this is a great read.

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Feb 12, 2014 Caroline rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: english-history, biography

At the start of this book Antonia Fraser quotes Queen Victoria, who once said of Charles II that for all of his moral failings, she considered him the most attractive of her predecessors. From the evidence in these pages Fraser clearly agrees with that view, and frankly so do I. History has remembered Charles as the 'Merry Monarch' and his Restoration court as a riotous affair, populated with mistresses, actresses, prostitutes and rakes, charlatans, con-artists, ne-er-do-wells and illegitimate At the start of this book Antonia Fraser quotes Queen Victoria, who once said of Charles II that for all of his moral failings, she considered him the most attractive of her predecessors. From the evidence in these pages Fraser clearly agrees with that view, and frankly so do I. History has remembered Charles as the 'Merry Monarch' and his Restoration court as a riotous affair, populated with mistresses, actresses, prostitutes and rakes, charlatans, con-artists, ne-er-do-wells and illegitimate offspring. All true, to be fair, in varying degrees, but to remember Charles solely in these terms is to do him a grave injustice. There was far more going on beneath the surface of his bonhomie and goodwill, as Fraser elaborates in this cogent, informative and enjoyable biography.

Fraser acknowledges that Charles was in many ways a man ahead of his time, a very modern monarch - charming, affable, affection, down-to-earth, tolerant and even-handed, cynical and wise to the world, with little taste for pomp or standing on ceremony. His air of goodwill and good-humour wasn't a mask or affectation, but it was definitely a studied posture - in reality Charles was all of these things and more, but he was also an immensely cautious and careful man, defensive of the royal prerogative (one must note, a very different stance from that of his father and the 'divine rights of kings'. And more than anything else, Charles was a man deeply scarred by the experiences of his youth. A modern psychologist could have a field day with Charles - a safe and secure childhood torn apart by the upheavals of the Civil War period; an adolescence marked by weighty and responsibility and military command; the murder of his father; the loss of his home and position and country; growing to manhood in exile; experiencing real penury and deprivation; more than a decade spent begging, cajoling and manoeuvring among the crowned heads of Europe, all reluctant to help Charles regain his throne and his kingdom; and then, that miraculous Restoration. And of course the story doesn't end there, and much of Charles' reign would be marked by ever more rancorous dealings with Parliament.

Charles II is one of those curious figures from history who is perhaps viewed with more affection and sympathy today than he may have been in his own time. Those traits that we would consider most attractive today - his religious tolerance, his ability to forgive past slights, his carelessness about ceremony and ritual, his open-handed nature, even his laziness and relaxed attitude to cares of state - were those viewed with most concern by his countrymen and which gave rise to the most tension. If Charles is to be judged by the state of the country after his death, the verdict of history cannot but be judgemental. Whilst Charles cannot be entirely blamed for the ousting of James II, the Glorious Revolution, the ongoing Jacobite rebellions, he had a hand in laying the groundwork for the unrest that followed his death. As Fraser herself concludes, those traits we most admire in a man are not always those best suited to a monarch. ...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Lindz rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone interested in Restoration England

Shelves: 20th-century, historical-documentary, british-invasion

Sometimes fact can be more interesting than fiction.

Charles Stuart, born a Prince, he had the whole word at his feet. Unfortunately his father Charles I was not the fantastic politician you would expect from the King of England, and lost his head to Oliver Cromwell. Charles II was forced into exile, and had to wait till England wanted it Monarchy back.

Charles II was known as the Merry Monarchy. Constantly celebrating, patronising the theatre (and many of its actresses), horse racing, poetry, ...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Grace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I picked this up while rooting about in a second-hand bookshop for 3.50, at that price it was definitely worth a punt. Having recently watched and been fascinated by Lucy Worsley's series "Harlots, Housewives and Heroines" I wanted to learn more about the period both pre and post restoration, so what better place to start than with a biography of the key monarch. To begin with I'll echo what the majority of other reviews I've come across have said, which is that Fraser has a very accessible ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about Charles II of England, complete with pictures. Very interesting tome along with much detail about the King who ruled England from 1660-1685. Mary Queen of Scots great grandson was an avid sportsmen, gardener and scientist..this King is a fascinating figure. Supporting the building of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, a steady topic of diarist Samuel Pepys and a patron of Christopher Wren who rebuilt London after the Great Fire of 1666; this ...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Kirsten Hivon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Unfortunately I was dissapointed with this book, especially considering that Charles 2nd is one of my favourite monarchs. I thought this book would be like Marie Antoinette, about his personal life and what life was like around the palace and how he reacted to things on a personal level, like Marie Antoinette was. Some of it was like that but mostly it was politics and conspiracies which I'm not all that fond of. It took me almost a month to get halfway, I put it down for awhile but the thought ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Dutch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...but it took me a long time to finish. It is dense in every sense of the word but is because of the sheer amount of information presented that makes for a slow, if engrossing, read. Ms. Fraser's research was exhaustive to say the least. Charles II was a fascinating individual who overcame very much in his formative year. I would have liked the opportunity to meet him...350 years ago.

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Mar 30, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, non-fiction, british-history

Charles II was born while his father was still king of England, but before he was fully grown England had revolted. First Charles I was dethroned, and then he was beheaded. Charles II spent his youth in exile, often narrowly escaping capture, always indebted to others. The constant danger and espionage turned him from a hot-headed prince into a tightly controlled man.

review tbc

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Jun 10, 2008 Angel added it · review of another edition

LOVE antonia fraser! this was a great read. i knew very little about the restoration and charles II. finished reading cromwell by antonia fraser and mary, queen of scots (by same author) before that, so this was a nice ending to a 'home-made trilogy'.

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Jul 26, 2011 Jeanette rated it liked it · review of another edition

Not as good as some of Fraser's other biographies. Lots of detail, but Charless II himself remains elusive. Also, Fraser assumes the reader has knowledge of 17th century politics and political figures, so this is not a good read for someone who is not too familiar with Restoration England.

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Jun 30, 2012 Allen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Charles II was an interesting character, and this was an interesting read. The political machinations in Restoration England can be a little difficult to follow though, particularly as people's names keep changing as they are granted new titles.

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Dec 27, 2016 George Foord rated it really liked it · review of another edition

i really enjoyed this book, it was easy to read with so much detail throughout, the only thing I didnt like is the way fraser explains things like sport all at once in a few pages however it was a pleasure to read

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May 29, 2016 Margaret rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-autobiography, 2016-challenge

Not a bad book, but one showing it's age.

Well worth a read if you don't know much about Charles II.

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Jul 03, 2010 Gaile rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

I just couldn't seem to get into this book! It bored me.

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Jul 10, 2012 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

very detailed and readable. Enjoyed it amazed by Antonia's detail

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May 07, 2012 Brenna rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: library-read, reference, arthur-to-elizabeth-ii

I tried this but didn't finish it because I didn't understand enough of the time period to follow. I think I will try again once I get to the Stuarts.

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Sep 23, 2010 Craig Bolton added it · review of another edition

Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser (1979)

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Dec 20, 2016 K.M. Ellis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great biography! Was one of my number one sources for my thesis on Charles' illegitimate son James duke of Monmouth!!

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About Antonia Fraser

Antonia Fraser

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Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's ...more

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Quotes from King Charles II

“Though Charles II both craved and enjoyed female companionship till the end of his life, there is no question that by the cold, rainy autumn of 1682 his physical appetites had diminshed considerably. The Duchess of Portsmouth was, after all, more than twenty years his junior; and there comes a time in nearly every such relationship when the male partner is simply unable to fully accommodate the female partner. Or as Samuel Pepys tartly noted in his diary, "the king yawns much in council, it is thought he spends himself overmuch in the arms of Madame Louise, who far from being wearied, seems fresher than ever after sporting with the king.” — 4 likes

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