AHC: Charles I/II establishes goverment in exile in North America

Is it possible that when the loyalists are defeated in the Engish Civil War, they flee to England's colonies in America? Would they succeed in breaking off? If Cromwell's regime lasts and has stable succession, could the North American country last?
 
They could flee to America, but there's no guarantee that that would be the end of the conflict. Though there almost no actual fighting in America, most of the colonies fell strongly to one side or the other. And while Maryland, Virginia, Bermuda were strongly Royalist, and Newfoundland most of the sugar islands moderately so, New England was not. New England was arguably more Roundhead than the Roundheads, owing primarily to Puritan fervor and enormous support for Cromwell. Honestly, I'd be surprised if any part of England had been as pro-Cromwell as New England, or even close. Some crazy proportion (I think almost 20%) of New England's sons went to England to volunteer with the Roundheads, and in the end New England was the last part of the Kingdom to accept Restoration.

My point is, even if Charles flees to exile in North America, Cromwell's going to have a very strong base to continue pursuing him (which he probably will want to). An invasion of the Chesapeake isn't going to be pretty, but I'd tend to bet my money on the more numerous New Englanders over the Virginians, especially once reinforcements arrive from England.

I wonder if the king might play island whack-a-mole, running from sugar island to sugar island, but my gut says the British navy is probably up to the task.

I wonder, though, if he might not follow his wife to take refuge at his father in law's court in Paris. Probably not the best move in the world for his legitimacy, but French armies are a good shield, and in the longer term French pikes might reseat a king who was willing to be magnanimous towards Catholics.
 
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