Clarendon's enemy, Lord Arlington, becomes the favorite of the king in 1664 and begins to cooperate with the king's brother James, Duke of York, the Lord High Admiral, in order to bring about war with the Dutch, from which both expect great personal gain.

James heads the Royal African Company and hopes to seize the possessions of the Dutch West India Company.

The two are supported by the English ambassador in The Hague, George Downing, who despises the Dutch, and reports that the Republic is politically divided between Orangists, who gladly would collaborate with an English enemy in case of war, and a States faction consisting of wealthy merchants that would give in to any English demand in order to protect their trade interests.

As enthusiasm for war rises among the English populace, privateers begin to attack Dutch ships, capturing about two hundred of them.

Dutch ships are obligated by the new treaty to salute the English flag first.

English ships begin in 1664 to provoke the Dutch by not saluting in return.

Many Dutch commanders. though ordered by the Dutch government to continue saluting first, cannot bear the insult.

Still, these flag incidents are not the causus belli, as in the previous war.