At the Restoration of 1660, Bedford resumed his seat in the House of Lords, becoming a leader of the Presbyterian faction.
 Bedford bore the sceptre at Charles II's coronation in 1661, but he was never close to the king.

In an attempt to win Bedford's support in the run-up to the Third Anglo-Dutch War, Charles II made Bedford Governor of Plymouth in 1671 and, on 29 May 1672, the day after the Battle of Solebay, had him invested as a Knight of the Garter (K.G.).
 He held the office of Joint Commissioner for the office of Earl Marshal in 1673.
 Charles' courtship of Bedford ended shortly thereafter when his overtures to the Dissenters proved fruitless.

Although Bedford attended services in the Established Church, he also kept a Presbyterian chaplain in his household and his wife was arrested in 1675 for attending a conventicle.
 This made Bedford a natural ally of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury in opposition to the Earl of Danby's plans to establish royalist and Anglican dominance.
 As such, Bedford supported Shaftesbury and the Whigs during the Exclusion Crisis.
 The king consequently turned against Bedford, and, in 1682, the family borough of Tavistock lost its charter.
At the Restoration of 1660, Bedford resumed his seat in the House of Lords, becoming a leader of the Presbyterian faction.  Bedford bore the sceptre at Charles II's coronation in 1661, but he was never close to the king.
In an attempt to win Bedford's support in the run-up to the Third Anglo-Dutch War, Charles II made Bedford Governor of Plymouth in 1671 and, on 29 May 1672, the day after the Battle of Solebay, had him invested as a Knight of the Garter (K.G.).  He held the office of Joint Commissioner for the office of Earl Marshal in 1673.  Charles' courtship of Bedford ended shortly thereafter when his overtures to the Dissenters proved fruitless.
Although Bedford attended services in the Established Church, he also kept a Presbyterian chaplain in his household and his wife was arrested in 1675 for attending a conventicle.  This made Bedford a natural ally of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury in opposition to the Earl of Danby's plans to establish royalist and Anglican dominance.  As such, Bedford supported Shaftesbury and the Whigs during the Exclusion Crisis.  The king consequently turned against Bedford, and, in 1682, the family borough of Tavistock lost its charter.
William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford