Following the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Worcester, Charles II spent a day hiding in a great oak tree at Boscobel House, Shropshire, to conceal himself from Parliamentarian forces. The story of the ‘Royal Oak’ became part of Charles's personal mythology and was recounted throughout his reign as a testimony to his bravery, ingenuity and divine protection. Commemorative wares such as this charger were displayed on a wall or dresser as a patriotic symbol of loyalty to the king.

Cat. 11