Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
How did Charles II of England really die and why was his final illness so horrific? Discover the shocking truth behind the agonising death of the “Merry Monarch” in this gripping royal history documentary.
King Charles II died on 6 February 1685 after 25 years on the throne, but few people know just how painful and drawn-out his final days were. In this Stuart monarchy documentary from History Calling, we uncover the disturbing details of Charles II’s death, including the outdated and brutal medical treatments that may have hastened his end. Using firsthand accounts written by those who witnessed his final illness, we examine what killed Charles II, what symptoms he showed, and what modern doctors believe was the true cause of death. Was he secretly received into the Catholic Church on his deathbed? What did he say to his wife, Catherine of Braganza, and to his brother, the future James II? Did Charles II really tell James to “not let poor Nelly starve,” referring to his mistress Nell Gwyn? We answer these questions and more as we look at Charles’s last moments with his mistresses, including Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and his many illegitimate children. We also explore the rumours of a theft from the king’s deathbed, the events leading up to his collapse, the timeline of his final illness and his funeral and burial in Westminster Abbey. With contemporary images and original sources, this video shows you what Charles II looked like and what life was like in 17th-century London at the time of his death.
If you're fascinated by royal history, the Stuarts, or medical mysteries of the past, this video offers an in-depth and historically accurate account of one of the most dramatic royal deaths in British history.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Stuarts’ playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0FpTGgZhdt94Jq0ollCJmN9
Death, murder and corpses’ playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
How Charles II escaped Oliver Cromwell
youtu.be/DHlR7cVNHYM
Charles II’s secret wife?
youtu.be/dXqYeb0umRQ
How James II lost the throne
youtu.be/4uwpYY6njcE
The crazy story of the Jacobites
youtu.be/rxz-PJIpETE
Learn more:
Antonia Fraser, King Charles II (1979)
amzn.to/41jJxvi
[FREE] Jeffrey K Aronson and Carl Heneghan, ‘The death of King Charles II’, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (2018).
cebm.ox.ac.uk/news/views/the-death-of-king-charles-ii#:~:text=Spirit%20of%20human%20skull%2C%20used,and%20whose%20body%20remained%20unburnt.
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#CharlesII #KingCharlesII #DeathOfCharlesII
How did Charles II of England really die and why was his final illness so horrific? Discover the shocking truth behind the agonising death of the “Merry Monarch” in this gripping royal history documentary.
King Charles II died on 6 February 1685 after 25 years on the throne, but few people know just how painful and drawn-out his final days were. In this Stuart monarchy documentary from History Calling, we uncover the disturbing details of Charles II’s death, including the outdated and brutal medical treatments that may have hastened his end. Using firsthand accounts written by those who witnessed his final illness, we examine what killed Charles II, what symptoms he showed, and what modern doctors believe was the true cause of death. Was he secretly received into the Catholic Church on his deathbed? What did he say to his wife, Catherine of Braganza, and to his brother, the future James II? Did Charles II really tell James to “not let poor Nelly starve,” referring to his mistress Nell Gwyn? We answer these questions and more as we look at Charles’s last moments with his mistresses, including Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and his many illegitimate children. We also explore the rumours of a theft from the king’s deathbed, the events leading up to his collapse, the timeline of his final illness and his funeral and burial in Westminster Abbey. With contemporary images and original sources, this video shows you what Charles II looked like and what life was like in 17th-century London at the time of his death.
If you're fascinated by royal history, the Stuarts, or medical mysteries of the past, this video offers an in-depth and historically accurate account of one of the most dramatic royal deaths in British history.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Stuarts’ playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0FpTGgZhdt94Jq0ollCJmN9
Death, murder and corpses’ playlist
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0HqKJP-pwWUcP1OtH1hRvN4
How Charles II escaped Oliver Cromwell
youtu.be/DHlR7cVNHYM
Charles II’s secret wife?
youtu.be/dXqYeb0umRQ
How James II lost the throne
youtu.be/4uwpYY6njcE
The crazy story of the Jacobites
youtu.be/rxz-PJIpETE
Learn more:
Antonia Fraser, King Charles II (1979)
amzn.to/41jJxvi
[FREE] Jeffrey K Aronson and Carl Heneghan, ‘The death of King Charles II’, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (2018).
cebm.ox.ac.uk/news/views/the-death-of-king-charles-ii#:~:text=Spirit%20of%20human%20skull%2C%20used,and%20whose%20body%20remained%20unburnt.
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#CharlesII #KingCharlesII #DeathOfCharlesII
