Names on the buses

801 King Charles II
401 King Charles II
756 King Charles II

Connections with Brighton and Hove : 1630 - 1685
In 1649, King Charles I was executed, at the height of the Civil War. His son and heir to the throne Charles II had to flee to mainland Europe. On his way to the Continent, he spent one night in Brighton, 14th October 1651. This makes him the person with the briefest connection to Brighton of anyone commemorated on the buses. He found a Brightonian who helped him get across the English Channel, the collier Captain Nicholas Tettersell. Under cover of darkness, he made his getaway to France on the coal ship Surprise, together with three friends. When the Captain learned who his passengers were, he increased the price for his help to £200. In 1660 the monarchy was restored and Charles II returned to Britain as King of England, Scotland and Ireland. He was so fond of the ship that had ferried him to safety that he bought the Surprise and renamed her Royal Escape. The King also did not forget the man who had helped save his life nearly a decade earlier. He awarded Captain Tettersell a pension of £100 a year for 99 years. With the money received from the monarch, he bought what is now The Old Ship Hotel in King's Road. A yachting race is staged each year off the coast of Brighton to commemorate these events.

801 Dennis Trident - carried name since delivery in March 1999, originally on METRO Line 1 then METRO Line 7 from April 2004, repainted into new livery November 2004. April 2011 name transferred to 401 Volvo Gemini in Route 6 livery. Repainted into new Route 6 livery October 2016. Bus sold in June 2024. Name reappeared on 756 ADL Enviro in December 2025.