Chance to own a piece of history as historic painting goes up for auction

The piece, produced by the studio of Sir Peter Lely in the 1600s, depicts the King wearing the blue sash of the garter and armour breastplate over an ochre doublet, holding a baton in his left hand.

It is expected to achieve in the region of £3,000 to £5,000 when it goes under the hammer at the Cuttlestones auction house in Penkridge on March 14.

Staffordshire is associated with Charles II's dramatic exile following his defeat by Cromwellian forces at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

The King and his party made for the Catholic stronghold of Shropshire via the Staffordshire countryside; seeking refuge in the homes of loyal Catholic nobles on their way and spawning the legend of the Royal Oak at Boscobel House in Bishops Wood in which Charles allegedly hid whilst staying at the nearby White Ladies Priory on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border.

From the mid 1980s, the portrait hung at Black Ladies Priory in Kiddemore Green before the seller moved to nearby Brewood.

William Lacey, Cuttlestones picture expert, said: "This is a fine contemporary portrait of a king who ruled during one of the most dramatic periods in British history. As the court's dominant portrait painter, Sir Peter Lely was commissioned by the King to produce portraits as gifts for nobles across the country loyal to his cause.

"In many cases, Lely would paint the face and hands of the subject before handing over to his studio painters to complete the work."