s Statuette of King Charles II, c.1660 - Hull Museums Collections

Statuette of King Charles II, c.1660

Charles II was king during the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague and the Restoration period. This period saw an increase in craftsmanship and displays of wealth.

Before the English Civil War Charles II’s father was turned away from Hull’s city walls. This was King Charles I who was executed after the civil war. His son Charles II eventually became king in 1660. This statuette might have been a reminder that the royal family was back in charge.

This is a painted terracotta sculpture of King Charles II. Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 following the period of the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell. This statuette may have been a model for a much larger statue. It is contemporary with the Restoration period but how it came to Hull is unclear.

The statuette may have been a reminder to Hull about where its future loyalties should lie. However, it may also have been bought by a local Royalist keen to disassociate himself from his city’s recent past.

In 1642 Charles I had tried to enter Hull and was refused entry by Sir John Hotham, acting on Parliament’s orders. Charles I was trying to get at a large munitions store which would help in the looming Civil War. After a day of negotiations he denounced Hotham as a traitor and left. Following this public defiance to the King, the next reigning monarch to visit Hull was Queen Victoria in 1854.