Declaration of Breda

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There are also two contemporary treaties known as the Treaty of Breda.

The Declaration of Breda (issued on April 4, 1660) was a proclamation wherein Charles II of England made known the conditions of his acceptance of the crown of England which he was to accept, or resume, later in the same year. The declaration cemented the terms of the English Restoration after the Commonwealth period. It was written in response to a secret message sent by General George Monck, who was then the effective ruler of England.

Background

The declaration was named after the city of Breda in the Netherlands. It was actually written in the Spanish Netherlands, where Charles had been residing since March 1656; however, at the time of writing, England had been at war with Spain since 1655. To overcome the difficulties, both practical and in terms of public relations, of a prospective King of England addressing his subjects from enemy territory, Monck advised Charles to relocate himself to the United Netherlands, and to date his letters as if they were posted from Breda. Charles left Brussels, his last residence in the Spanish Netherlands, and passing through Antwerp arrived in Breda 4 April, and resided there until 14 May, after which he departed for England travelling via The Hague. The declaration, however (actually several letters, addressed to Monck, the Houses of Parliament, and the City of London), was despatched as soon as Charles had crossed the Dutch border, and was dated 4 April (OS)/14 April (NS).

The Declaration was drawn up by Charles and his three chief advisors, Edward Hyde, the Marquis of Ormond (James Butler), and Sir Edward Nicholas, in order to express the terms by which Charles hoped to take up "the possession of that right which God and Nature hath made our due"^[1]. It guaranteed a "free and general pardon" to any old enemies of the King-to-be and of his father who recognized Charles II as their lawful monarch, with the exception of some of the regicides of Charles I.

It also promised "a free parliament, by which, upon the word of a king, we will be advised" and religious toleration^[2]. The Declaration undertook to settle army pay arrears of the soldiers in the service of General Monck. The landed classes were reassured that establishing the justice of contested grants and purchases of estates that had been made "in the continued distractions of so many years and so many and great revolutions" was to be determined in Parliament.

Copies were delivered to both houses of the Convention Parliament by Sir John Grenville. Other copies with separate covering letters were delivered to Lord General George Monck to be communicated to the Lord President of the Council of State and to the Officers of the Army under his command, and to the Generals of the "Navy at Sea" and to the City of London.

Several British warships would be named HMS Breda after the declaration.

See also

• Indemnity and Oblivion Act

Footnotes

1. ^ See the Divine Right of Kings, on which the Stuarts insisted.
2. ^ " we do declare a liberty to tender consciences, and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of opinion in matter of religion which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom"

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Declaration of Breda

• April 4, 1660. Old Parliamentary History, xxii. 238. See Masson's Life of Milton, v. 697
• The Declaration of Breda. The text was printed in the Journals of the House of Lords, XI, 7-8
• The Parliamentary Archives holds the original of this historic record
• The Diary of Samuel Pepys
• UK Citizenship: Religious minorities