Who was King Charles II? As a controversial new drama-doc portrays him as a brutal avenger of his father's killers, Paul and Miranda go in search of the real Charles. With guest historians Linda Porter and Charlotte White as expert witnesses, we revisit Charles's childhood, his tumultuous experience of Civil War upheavals and years in exile, and his surprisingly conciliatory return to take the throne.

Charles II is a larger-than-life figure renowned for his loose living and numerous mistresses. But he was also a champion of the sciences and patron of the arts. Perhaps more than anything else, this most enigmatic of kings was a true political survivor.

Linda Porter has published many books on the period including ‘Royal Renegades’, about the children of Charles I, and ‘Mistresses’ about the women Charles II had relationships with.

Charlotte White is an author and podcast presenter who wrote the chapter on Charles II for Iain Dale’s recent ‘Kings and Queens’ book and is currently writing about Barbara Villiers, Charles II’s long-standing mistress.

'1666 and All That' is presented by Paul Lay and Miranda Malins. The producer is Hugh Costello. Original music is by George Taylor. The episode was mixed by Sam Gunn.

For better or for worse, the Stuart dynasty dominated the 17th-century English political landscape - with inevitable consequences for Scotland, Ireland and wider parts of a nascent empire. History's verdict on the Stuart monarchs is uncertain. Their absolutist inclinations led to Civil War, yet under Stuart leadership the century's turmoils resolved themselves in a way that left Britain stable and well-placed to grow in the following decades.

In this episode Paul and Miranda reassess the Stuart monarchs' respective achievements, reflect on their legacy, and ask the key question - did positive long-term developments come about because of the Stuarts, or despite them?

'1666 and All That' is presented by Miranda Malins and Paul Lay. The producer is Hugh Costello. Original music is by George Taylor. The episode was mixed by Sam Gunn.

From humble roots in Switzerland and Swabia, the Habsburg dynasty endured for 900 years, its survival due in part to genetic good fortune. As historian Martyn Rady tells Paul and Miranda, the Habsburgs gambled big on marital matches that would expand and consolidate their power across Europe - and more often than not, they hit the jackpot. Their territories came to include colonies in Africa, the Americas and Asia, further reinforcing their wealth and status. But in the 17th century, even this most adept of dynasties failed to control the forces that unleashed brutal war in central Europe.

Martyn Rady's book 'The Habsburgs: the Rise and Fall of a World Power' is published by Penguin.

'1666 and All That' is presented by Miranda Malins and Paul Lay. The producer is Hugh Costello. Original music is by George Taylor. The episode was mixed by Sam Gunn.