Charles II signed the first diplomatic treaty with Tunisia in 1662

A portrait of King Charles II sits in the collection of the United Kingdom residence in La Marsa, Tunisia.

The painting, created by Adriaen Hanneman of The Hague, captures the monarch during his exile in the Netherlands. The King returned to England in 1662 and signed a treaty with Tunisia and other Barbary States. This agreement aimed to secure the passage of British ships through the Mediterranean Sea.

At that time, corsairs based in Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli frequently patrolled these waters. A plaque on the facade of the building, which served as the British embassy until a relatively recent date, marks the signing of this historical agreement. The portrait serves as a physical link to the long history of diplomatic relations between the two nations.