Royal Escape

This brilliantly entertaining novel is a fictionalization of the true story of Charles II (May 29, 1630 — February 6, 1685), charting his daring flight to France after the Battle of Worcester, where Cromwell and his Protestant forces defeated the Catholic king. For six weeks, Charles' life was in danger as he hid in the English countryside, disguised as a servant, unable to find a way across heavily guarded borders. His loyal courtiers were appalled by the ease and glee with which he adopted his new humble identity, insisting on chatting and even drinking with ostlers and houseboys. Two young women were instrumental in his eventual escape and one of them became a lifelong friend of the exiled king.

Dispossessed of crown and kingdom, the young Charles II must flee for his life, across Cromwell's England bound for a Channel port and a ship to France. But the irrepressible King, with his love of adventure and his unmistakable looks, is not an easy man to hide.

Library Journal

Royal Escape is one of those historical novels that contains a lot more history than the casual listener expects. A considerable amount of meticulous research went into this story about Charles II, who had been smuggled to safety in France as a young boy. In 1650, the young man returns to Scotland and attempts to forge an alliance with Presbyterian Covenant forces to reclaim his father's throne. All his plans come to ruin in 1651, when the Scottish army is defeated at the Battle of Worcester by the English under Oliver Cromwell. Charles, disguised as a servant, is forced to flee for his life and spends 40 days roaming the English countryside in search of a way to get back to France. Heyer portrays Charles II as a charming, levelheaded, and brave young man who manages to retain his calm and sense of humor despite the dashing of his hopes and constant threats to his life. In spite of the archaic language used in the dialog, a clear, precise narration by Cornelius Garrett moves the tale along smoothly. His changes in diction, accent, and tone enable the listener to keep the large number of characters differentiated. This program is highly recommended for libraries where historical fiction or the works of Heyer are popular. Barbara L. Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Georgette Heyer who wrote over fifty novels died in 1974.


From the Paperback edition.