Charles II's escape to France (1651)

Timeline

1. 1651Worcester and surrounding area · WorcestershireAfter the defeat at Worcester, Charles II slipped out of the city northward overnight under escort of a few loyal followers, disguised as a servant, riding hard north before turning west to avoid the republican search nets along the main roads.
2. 1651Boscobel House, Shropshire · ShropshireWith the shelter of the loyal royalist Pendrell brothers at Boscobel House, Charles II spent a full day hidden in the dense crown of the estate's great oak while republican searchers passed beneath undetected. The tree became known as the 'Royal Oak', one of England's most famous historical symbols, and gave rise to Oak Apple Day.
3. 1651Central and southern England (Bristol, Dorset, Hampshire area) · Central and Southern EnglandPassed from royalist family to royalist family (through some forty hiding places), Charles II travelled across central and southern England disguised as a lady's attendant or a common farmer. The republican government offered £1,000 for his capture, but no one betrayed him, demonstrating the loyalty and organisation of the royalist network.
4. 1651Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex · West SussexOn the night of 15 October 1651 Charles II crossed the Channel from Shoreham aboard the merchantman 'Surprise', reaching Fécamp in Normandy, France, the following morning. He was now safe and began his long exile under French royal protection. The flight had lasted about six weeks and passed through more than forty hiding places, becoming one of the most widely told legends in English history.