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Now, his sixth book, To Catch A King: Charles II’s Great Escape, is set to be adapted for either television or the big screen, after rights to it were bought by none other than Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope. The duo were recently responsible for the films The Lost King and Philomena, while Coogan is also famed for his comedy. Clearly thrilled by the news, Earl Spencer Tweeted his approval: ‘Really excited to see my book To Catch A King being brought to life by such a talented duo!’

King Charles II

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The novel centres on the future King Charles II, as he escapes Oliver Cromwell’s army following the execution of his father, King Charles I. A summary of the fast-paced thriller on the Earl’s website explains: ‘How did the most wanted man in the country outwit the greatest manhunt in British history? King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 outside his palace of Whitehall. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was defeated by Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester. Expecting to meet the fate of his father, Charles fled for his life. From hiding in an oak tree to travelling as one half of an eloping couple and observing celebrations of his rumoured demise, he relied on grit, fortitude and good luck to survive.’ 

The Earl specialises particularly in the Civil War period of English history, having previously written about Prince Rupert of the Rhine, one of King Charles I’s most esteemed army generals, while his most recent work, Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I, published in 2020, goes further into the story of King Charles I’s execution, focusing on those responsible.