Plot

## Recent Events

**Recess V ( 18th of October 1676 - 18th of April 1677)**

**The Royals**

* After the Attack of the flotilla, the King lives, but has a limp and a lesser health.
* The Queen according to rumour is not pregnant. Whispers says that either she or the King is unable. The country feels despondent.
* York is forced to clean up his household but refuses to fire his personal confessor Father Petre. In upset he travels the country, giving support to Catholic nobles.
* The Dutch are on a rise, and as a consequence Monmouth returns to London. Baroness Wentworth is said to be with him in England. He does not live with his wife.
* The Royal wedding between William & Mary now seeks to further pacify the patriots who wish an alliance with the Dutch Republic. It is planned for autumn 77.
* The King is not travelling this Recess, though he celebrates Christmas at Hampton Court. Privy Councillors and other PCs of the more intimate circle around the royals may indicate this in their Recess write up.[/list]

**Politics**

* Ralph Montague has revealed the Secret Treaty of Dover to the Whigs, who now cry in uproar about the Kings betrayal, and what is more, the betrayal of Danby.
* As his brother dies under mysterious circumstances Henry Howard becomes the new Duke of Norfolk, and then announces his conversion to Anglicanism.
* The Duke of Newcastle dies in December 1676. His son the heir takes the seat.
* Buckingham convinces the King that, in light of anti-French sentiment and whispers of Jesuit plots, the Crown should attempt to embrace the Whigs somewhat to see if they can moderate them. There are furious negotiations as the season opens.
* Parliament is being recalled to calm down the agitators and because the King is now in need of money since the Dover payments have stopped. Rumours have it the Whigs will not oppose new taxes to gain the King's cooperation.
* There is to be a parliamentary investigation of the assassination attempt and subsequent affairs.
* The Second Test Act and the Exclusion Act are said to be on the table for this season.
* Coffee shops are reopened with a dire warning against plotting treason. It is suspected this is part of the deal the King is reaching with the Whigs.
* The public execution of James Kirkhope is announced. The man stands accused of attempting to assassinate Lauderdale for the second time now, in Summer 76.
* More Scots (including nobles) are arrested as Lauderdale brutally restores order. There is a failed uprising in autumn.[/list]

**Foreign Policy**

* Charles II and his brother are furious about the French assassination attempt. Louis XIV maintains he is innocent, but it was a plot that involved his brother and De Charters. He promises to punish them severely. Foreign relations remain tense.
* A treaty is signed in Nijmegen between France and the Dutch Republic, ending their war.
* Spain: the power struggle continues, Don Juan is exiled to London and tries to gather a circle of power there.
* In the new colonies there is war with the natives. Rumour is wild and not very specific.[/list]

**Trade & Economic Policy**

* Harvest was indeed poor, making potatoes and bread expensive and pushing poverty levels up. A call to charity follows.
* The bank of England starts up and provides an investment funds for new businesses.
* Recent endeavours with the EIC: despite the Dutch nearly always beating the EIC to it, the profits from the company each time keep exceeding the last. There is resentment among merchants towards the Dutch.
* The slave-trade, mostly over Bristol but also over London and Portsmouth, is flourishing. Having a blackie in your household is the next fashionable trend.
* Many German trade opportunities opened for the London merchants since the marriage between His Majesty and Karoline of the Pfalz.[/list]

**Art & Science**

* Fashion is very anti-French and very pro-English. Patriotism is at an all time high.
* 1676 September to November - Major influenza epidemic;
* Late 1676 The first fossilised bone of what is now known to be a dinosaur is discovered by Robert Plot (an Oxford man), the femur of a Megalosaurus from a limestone quarry at Cornwell near Chipping Norton. Lord Russel (a Cambridge man) is said to be preparing a scouting mission to see what the Oxfordians are about.
* 11 December 1676 - First performance of William Wycherley's play The Plain Dealer.[1]
* 1677 February - Nathaniel Lee's blank verse tragedy The Rival Queens, or the Death of Alexander the Great, is performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with Mrs Charlotte Melmoth as Roxana.

## Overview: The story so far

*Further optional reading Themes, Seasons and Newspapers*

We started out in May 1675 and played out several seasons since then. Our current date is Spring 1677.

In May 1675 all courtiers gathered for a special anniversary. The King Charles Rex had been on the throne for 25 years and the month was dedicated to this jubilee with several celebratory events, while ladies attempt to attract the royal attention. It was also clear that the King had problems. Catholics were more and more prosecuted by the common folks and the Whig party, agitation rising. His dream of toleration of all religions had long since evaporated. The Merry Gang seemed to have lost some of its panache, no longer literary genius but more and more worn old man. Above all the King worried about the Navy, equally under pressure from his cousin Rupert and his brother James. There simply was no money to pay the sailors and built the ships. Parliament was recalled but brought no solution. By the end of May a scare spread through London of the Plague revisiting. The King rose to the occasion and announced on the last even of the season that his Queen was expecting, finally the promised protestant heir!

During Summer 1675 the King spent his days at Newmarket racing, and later travelled the country. Her Majesty was safely kept at Hampton Court palace.

In September 1675 the King organised a Regatta on the Thames to promote the Navy, but still didn't not get the much needed funds. The plans for St. Pauls Cathedral and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich are finalized. Lots of personal plotting transpires. At the end of the Season the King suffers a tremendous loss. The Queen suffers a miscarriage, nearly dies and has an episode of insanity.

Such sadness caused the King to flee London in autumn 1675. As was his character he fled into more merriness and went to Newmarket again for the races.

At Christmas 1675 the King tried to forget all the sadness with a merry season in the snow at his castle of Windsor, inviting all of court to come with him. Pretending to be everybody's fond uncle he married off no less than two couples. One party followed the next. The Thames was frozen over so a Frost Fair was thrown. England was not ready for what followed next though. A protestant official was murdered in London, rumours held it to be by the Catholics. One Titus Oats was rather vocal on the matter, claiming a conspiracy. While the people at Windsor ignored the rabble, the rabble did not ignore them. Puritan fanatics managed to assassinate the Catholic Queen, who due to insanity mostly kept to her rooms. Partying ceased as the country was dipped into Royal Mourning. What is more, fanatics held the entire court at gunpoint at what came to be known as the Dutch Reception Massacre. The King falls to illness amidst this all and briefly York rules, to the detriment of the men then send to fight in Tangiers, in the hope they perish.

In the Winter of 1676 news arrives of the death of the Kings son who was at the head of the regiment in Tangiers. The Viscount Blackheath goes down in a blaze of glory, while the body of Charles FitzCharles is brought home. The King was inconsolable and raised Blackheath to Earl in death. Carrington, one of the officers at Tangiers from here on forth is a Whig, accusing York of the massacre.

In the Spring of 1676, also know as the Long Season, the King had to face reality. It was time to seek a new Queen. Foreign dignitaries swamped London trying to curry favour with the courtiers. Meanwhile the Exclusion Act, seeking to have the Kings brother, the Duke of York, excluded as a heir to the throne, was not brought to a vote but delayed, while a solution was found for funding of the Navy in starting a National Bank. Great Calamity when a fire broke out in the East End quite unexpectedly (for there were no thunderstorms or excessive heat). Despite regulations too many houses were made of timber and burned to the ground, leaving many homeless. The King and the Duke of Montmouth showed themselves to be the great heroes of their time in stopping the fire, once again. Afterwards the grand ladies of society helped organize important charities to help the poor of London, and several initiatives were employed. With the coming of May once again balls and parties take the foreground. At least the choice is announced: the bride to be is Karoline von der Pfalz, a distant cousin of the King through his aunt Elisabeth and more importantly a Protestant.

The Royal Wedding is celebrated at Windsor in October 1676. Two weeks packed full of festivities. All seems fluffy and fun but is it true? Dark shadows are rising. The Catholics are not taking their persecution lying down, frightened by the prospect of a Protestant Queen and their final annihilation. A Catholic Earl was stabbed to death, with secret agents of the King and foreign nations running around trying to find the Jesuit plotters behind it. Another group took a far more lofty aim: during the boatparade an attempt to assassinate the King was made. To the horror of many Charles Rex was shot in the leg. Life Guard and secret agents only just prevented worse, including dissuading a French invasion army on the shores of Caleis that they were not welcome.

Spring 1677 has brought us the French visit of the Duc of Orleans, the evil genius behind the assassination attempt on the King, come forced by his elder brother Louis XIV to apologize for his dark plot. The Month of May is full of celebrations, but also politics. Titus Oates has gone loose, condemning Catholics. Mobs on the street threaten Catholic Lords and Ladies and especially the royal heir the Duke of York. Meanwhile Danby is under fire for signing a secret treaty with the French.

## Our Fudge List

*See Also Rules of Realism*

We have defined a setting that while not an exact replica of the historic 17th century Stuart era is closer to it than for instance a generic Tudor game, a fantasy realm, or a regency setting. We have made the marker "alternate" to allow for changes in history as well as fudges. We know that anachronistic behaviour is unavoidable. Even so, for want of a better word, there is such a thing as being *setting correct*. The rule of thumb: we use everything in the Stuart period after the Civil War (1660-1714). To help you understand what is different from real history, here is a list of things that have become part of our setting.

### Time Bound Fudges

* Duke of Ormonde is assassinated - May 1675
* The Queen is pregnant - May 1675 (in reality was already infertile by then)
* A stillborn child for the Queen - September 1675
* Titus Oates plot starts - Windsor 1675 (and consequentially all through 1676 and 1677, instead of 1678)
* Queen Catherine is assassinated- Windsor 1675
* Thomas Hobbes dies - Winter 1676
* Earl of Rochester's wife dies - Winter 1676
* Charles FitzCharles dies in combat - Winter 1676
* Parliament recalled to discuss brides, bank & navy - Spring 1676
* Court of Wards abolished - Spring 1676 (instead of in 1660)
* The Fire of Southwark took place in the East End instead - Spring 1676
* King remarries with Protestant Bride - Windsor 1676
* St.Pauls Cathedral finishes way before its time - Spring 1677

### General Fudges

* The Life Guards have barracks (in reality they stayed in Inns)
* The creation of a second standing regiment, owned by Charles Whitehurst, Earl of Langdon.
* The Golden and Silver Wick (personal bodyguards of the King and his heir) have been installed before their time
* Charles Sackville is known as Middlesex instead of Dorset
* The popularity of champagne and jenever (about a 100 and 50 years early respectively)
* The existence of piano fortes (about 50 years early)
* The presentation of Windsor's Baroque reconstruction as it was finished around 1685
* New Year starts in January, not in March.
* The existence of the West India Company (WIC)