10 Outlandish Conspiracies That Were Actually True

7. Charles II And Louis XIV Secretly Bring Back Roman Catholicism

Boy, did that Charles II live a life. The rightful heir to the throne, overthrown by Oliver Cromwell and forced to live in exile in France for decades, only to return to power once the traitor popped his clogs a few years later. Quite the rollercoaster of emotions (and cross-country boat rides) Charlie had to endure.

After he'd gotten the crown jewels firmly affixed to his bonce again in 1660, the king had perhaps gotten a little complacent after all the excitement he'd been through over the past couple of decades. So in 1670, he thought he'd indulge in a bit of political conspiracy. Hitting up his French pal King Louis XIV (no relation), Charles sought to make a secret pact that would be legally binding, but also, nobody was to ever know about it. Which we think is pretty much the definition of a conspiracy, especially since it pertained to the inhabitants of each king's respective country.

The Secret Treaty of Dover, as it was colourfully named, promised that Charles would support French policy in Europe, and in return he would get a lot of money, so he wouldn't have to subsist solely on parliament. As a matter of fact, there were two treaties: a formal - and public - one concerning an Anglo-French military and naval alliance, and the secret one where Charles got a load of money and was also supposed to ensure that England would convert to Roman-Catholicism. Which never actually happened, but it wasn't for lack of trying, and was a pretty ballsy move for a guy who'd been deposed not twenty years before.