In May 1660, Parliament invited Charles ll to come back from exile in the Netherlands. He was crowned King Charles ll of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Charles ll made it clear that he had 'no wish to go on his travels again'. He understood that he could not always do as he wished but would sometimes need to reach agreement with Parliament. Generally, Parliament supported his policies. The Church of England again became the established official Church. Both Roman Catholic and Puritans were kept out of power.
During Charles ll's reign, in 1665, there was a major outbreak of plague in London. Thousand of people died, especially in poorer areas. The following year, a great fire destroyed much of the city, including many churches and St Paul's Cathedral. London was rebuilt with a new St Paul's, which was designed by a famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. Samuel Pepys wrote about these events in a diary which was later published and is still read today.
The Habeas Corpus Act became law in 1679. This was a very important piece of legislation which remain relevant today. Habeas corpus is Latin ,for 'you must present the person in court'. The Act guaranteed that no one could be held prisoner unlawful. Every prisoner has a right to a court hearing.
Charles ll was interested in science. During his reign, the Royal Society was formed to promote 'natural knowledge'. This is the oldest surviving scientific in the world. Among its early members were Sir Edmond Halley, who successfully predicted the return of the comet now called Halley's Comet, and Sir Isaac Newton.