. ▁In ▁ 1 6 7 9 , ▁Tit us ▁O ates ' s ▁revel ations ▁of ▁a ▁supposed ▁Pop ish ▁Plot ▁spark ed ▁the ▁Ex clusion ▁Cris is ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁revealed ▁that ▁Charles ' s ▁brother ▁and ▁he ir ▁pres um pt ive , ▁James , ▁Duke ▁of ▁York , ▁was ▁a ▁Catholic . ▁The ▁crisis ▁saw ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁pro - ex clusion ▁Wh ig ▁and ▁anti - ex clusion ▁T ory ▁parties . ▁Charles ▁s ided ▁with ▁the ▁T ories , ▁and , ▁following ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the ▁R ye ▁House ▁Plot ▁to ▁murder ▁Charles ▁and ▁James ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 3 , ▁some ▁Wh ig ▁leaders ▁were ▁executed ▁or ▁forced ▁into ▁ex ile . ▁Charles ▁dissol ved ▁the ▁English ▁Parliament ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 1 , ▁and ▁ruled ▁alone ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 5 . ▁He ▁was ▁received ▁into ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁on ▁his ▁death bed . ▁ ▁Charles ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁and ▁bel oved ▁k ings ▁of ▁England , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Mer ry ▁Mon arch , ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁both ▁the ▁liv el iness ▁and ▁h ed on ism ▁of ▁his ▁court ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁relief ▁at ▁the ▁return ▁to ▁normal ity ▁after ▁over ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁rule ▁by ▁C rom well ▁and ▁the ▁Pur it ans . ▁Charles ' s ▁wife , ▁Catherine ▁of ▁B rag anza , ▁bore ▁no ▁live ▁children , ▁but ▁Charles ▁acknowled ged ▁at ▁least ▁twelve ▁il leg it imate