Charles II of England had an heir.
Charles II of England . After 1660 , all legal documents were dated as if he had succeeded his father as king in 1649 . In 1679 , Titus Oates 's revelations of a supposed `` Popish Plot '' sparked the Exclusion Crisis when it was revealed that Charles 's brother and heir ( James , Duke of York ) was a Catholic . He was succeeded by his brother James . The Monmouth Rebellion , also known as The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion , was an attempt to overthrow James II , the Duke of York who had become King of England , Scotland , and Ireland upon the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685 .