"King Charles II liked women's company and well as making love to them"

The quote by Antonia Fraser regarding King Charles II provides a glimpse into the personal life and character of the English emperor who ruled from 1660 to 1685. Known as the "Merry Monarch", Charles II ascended the throne throughout the Restoration duration, which marked the return of the monarchy after a years of Puritan rule under Oliver Cromwell. This period was identified by a resurgence of arts, culture, and a basic easing of the rigorous moral codes that had actually dominated under the Commonwealth.

Fraser's option of words underscores Charles II's credibility for being a convivial and affable ruler, especially in his relationships with females. The phrase "liked ladies's company" suggests that Charles enjoyed and valued the companionship, discussion, and maybe the intellectual engagement used by females. This appreciation was not simply carnal however also social and cultural, showing the king's broader interests in courtly life and society. Charles II was known to associate with numerous accomplished and influential females, including actresses, authors, and nobility, indicating a shared exchange of wit and beauty that exceeded physical attraction.

The latter part of Fraser's quote, "as well as making love to them", alludes to Charles's famous romantic adventures. The king's many liaisons and mistresses, such as Nell Gwyn, Barbara Villiers, and Louise de Kérouaille, were well-documented and the topic of both appreciation and scandal. These relationships produced several invalid children and were indicative of the king's infamous hedonistic lifestyle.

In the context of Charles II's reign, this mindset towards females shows wider societal shifts. The Restoration period saw a liberalization in social mores, with Charles himself embodying this improvement through his patronage of the arts, theater, and a court that celebrated pleasure and variety of idea. Hence, Fraser's quote encapsulates not just the king's individual proclivities however likewise the spirit of an age that accepted extravagance and festivity after years of austerity.