In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London, and England became a republic under Parliament. When his son Charles returned to claim the throne, his army was crushed by Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester. Surely it was a foregone conclusion that he would now be caught and follow his father to the block? Charles Spencer tells the wildly improbable yet utterly true tale of how the future king went on the run, and—far too tall and dark skinned to ever blend into a crowd—made brilliant use of disguise, deception, and grit. Along the way Charles II pretends to be an eloping bridegroom, sees a village celebrating his alleged death, and hides himself in a tree—the very reason why hundreds of English pubs have been named "Royal Oak."