Editing Commonwealth of England (section)

==1659–1660==
<!--This section is linked from [[The Protectorate]]--> 

After the Grandees in the New Model Army removed Richard, they reinstalled the [[Rump Parliament]] in May 1659. [[Charles Fleetwood]] was appointed a member of the [[English Committee of Safety|Committee of Safety]] and of the Council of State, and one of the seven commissioners for the army. On 9 June he was nominated lord-general (commander-in-chief) of the army. However, his power was undermined in parliament, which chose to disregard the army's authority in a similar fashion to the pre–Civil War parliament. On 12 October 1659 the Commons cashiered [[John Lambert (general)|General John Lambert]] and other officers, and installed Fleetwood as chief of a military council under the authority of the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker]]. The next day Lambert ordered that the doors of the House be shut and the members kept out. On 26 October a "Committee of Safety" was appointed, of which Fleetwood and Lambert were members. Lambert was appointed major-general of all the forces in England and Scotland, Fleetwood being general. Lambert was now sent, by the Committee of Safety, with a large force to meet [[George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle|George Monck]], who was in command of the English forces in Scotland, and either negotiate with him or force him to come to terms.

It was into this atmosphere that General George Monck marched south with his army from [[Scotland]]. Lambert's army began to desert him, and he returned to London almost alone. On 21 February 1660, Monck reinstated the Presbyterian members of the Long Parliament "secluded" by Pride, so that they could prepare legislation for a new parliament. Fleetwood was deprived of his command and ordered to appear before parliament to answer for his conduct. On 3 March Lambert was sent to the Tower, from which he escaped a month later. Lambert tried to rekindle the civil war in favour of the Commonwealth by issuing a proclamation calling on all supporters of the "[[Good Old Cause]]" to rally on the battlefield of Edgehill. However, he was recaptured by Colonel [[Richard Ingoldsby]], a [[regicide]] who hoped to win a pardon by handing Lambert over to the new regime. The Long Parliament dissolved itself on 16 March.

On 4 April 1660, in response to a secret message sent by Monck, [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] issued the [[Declaration of Breda]], which made known the conditions of his acceptance of the crown of England. Monck organised the [[Convention Parliament (1660)|Convention Parliament]], which met for the first time on 25 April. On 8 May it proclaimed that King Charles II had been the lawful monarch since the execution of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] in January 1649.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol8/pp16-18|title=House of Commons Journal Volume 8: 8 May 1660 |website=British History Online |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010100257/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol8/pp16-18 |archive-date= Oct 10, 2023 }}</ref> Charles returned from exile on 23 May.<ref name="pepysdiary23">{{cite web|url=http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1661/04/23/index.php|title=Tuesday 23 April 1661|work=The Diary of Samuel Pepys|date=24 April 2004 }}</ref> He entered London on 29 May, his birthday. To celebrate "his Majesty's Return to his Parliament" 29 May was made a public holiday, popularly known as [[Oak Apple Day]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol8/pp49-50|title=House of Commons Journal Volume 8: 30 May 1660 |website=British History Online |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209143657/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/commons-jrnl/vol8/pp49-50 |archive-date= Dec 9, 2023 }}</ref> He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1661.<ref name="pepysdiary23" />