Royal Oak
| Royal Oak | |
|---|---|
Descendant of Royal Oak near Boscobel House, Shropshire in 2011 | |
| Species | English oak (Quercus robur) |
| Coordinates | 52°40′12″N 2°14′31″W / 52.67008°N 2.24185°W |
| Date seeded | Original – c.1550 1st generation descendant of Royal Oak – c.1725 2nd generation descendant of Royal Oak – 1897 3rd generation descendant of Royal Oak – 1951 |
| Date felled | Original – c.1725 destroyed as a result of souvenir hunters |
| Custodian | Francis Yates Partners |
| Website | English Heritage 'BOSCOBEL HOUSE AND THE ROYAL OAK' |
The Royal Oak was the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles told Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was hiding in the tree, a Parliamentarian soldier passed directly below it. The story was popular after the Restoration, and is remembered every year in the English traditions of Royal Oak Day.