New Book Spotlight: To Catch A King, by Charles Spencer

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Earl Spencer’s latest history book, ‘TO CATCH A KING’, will be published by Harper Collins on 5 October this year. The companion piece to ‘KILLERS OF THE KING’ Earl Spencer’s (he writes as “Charles Spencer”) ‘Sunday Times‘ bestseller from 2014. A personally signed and dedicated to you (or your friend or family member?) by Earl Spencer, will be sent as close to the 5 October publication date as possible.

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Guided by its various twists and turns, To Catch a King tells the story the manhunt for Charles II, following the rebellion that spurred his father’s beheading in 1649. This unputdownable sequel to Killers of the King tells an old story with new eyes, challenging our polarised notions of royalism, nationalism and loyalty.

In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London outside his palace of Whitehall and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by the might of Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester.

With 3,000 of his supporters lying dead and 10,000 taken prisoner, it seemed as if his dreams of power had been dashed. Surely it was a foregone conclusion that he would now be caught and follow his father to the block?

At six foot two inches tall, the prince towered over his contemporaries and with dark skin inherited from his French-Italian mother, he stood out in a crowd. How would he fare on the run with Cromwell’s soldiers on his tail and a vast price on his head?

The next six weeks would form the most memorable and dramatic of Charles’ life. Pursued relentlessly, Charles ran using disguise, deception and relying on grit, fortitude and good luck. He suffered grievously through weeks when his cause seemed hopeless. He hid in an oak tree – an event so fabled that over 400 English pubs are named Royal Oak in commemoration. Less well-known events include his witnessing a village in wild celebrations at the erroneous news of his killing; the ordeal of a medical student wrongly imprisoned because of his similarity in looks; Charles disguising himself as a servant and as one half of an eloping couple to escape capture.

Charles never forgot those who helped him and, when restored to the throne as Charles II, told the tale of his adventures to Samuel Pepys who transcribed it all.

In this gripping, action-packed, true adventure story, based on extensive archive material, Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Killers of the King, uses Pepys’ account and many others to retell this epic story. With bloodied feet and facing certain death if caught, Charles relied upon a patchwork of hiding places that had evolved to hide Catholics from lethal persecution. Now, in the 1650s, they saved the life of a king.

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About the Author

The Rt Hon The Earl Spencer  is a British nobleman, peer, author, print journalist, broadcaster, and the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales. Through his sister, Charles Spencer is the maternal uncle of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and the great-uncle of Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. You can follow the author on Twitter @cspencer1508 and @cspencerbooks_.

Video interview with Earl Spencer about his previous book
Killers of The King