Declaration of Breda

Charles’s Declaration of Breda offered reconciliation, including a pardon with exceptions and religious toleration for moderate non-Anglican Protestants. These promises helped make his return acceptable to people who had supported different sides during the conflict.

Charles II, the exiled son of Charles I, issued the Declaration of Breda on 4 April 1660. It addressed four concerns: a general pardon for former opponents, some religious liberty, the settlement of disputes over land and payment of soldiers’ overdue wages. These promises helped make his return acceptable to people whose interests had been shaped by the Civil Wars and Interregnum.