Charles II

Charles II is probably best known for his bawdy and “sexed up” court. He was a complex man, who had had a very difficult childhood, and in many ways he was attractively “unroyal” in his manner. But he had a darker side. He was determined to rule as a King, although he knew that he could not be the absolute monarch his father had tried to be. But he was a much more skillful politician than his father or brother and managed to rule without Parliament, but without alienating the political classes as they had done. However he could only do that with French aid. But on the lighter side of his character, he liked women and one of his great pleasures was being with his mistresses. They were often witty and charming social creatures as well as bedmates. His Queen wasn’t smart or light hearted enough to take part in the court’s amusements of witty talk and debauchery, but Charles – even though she had no children – never parted with her. I’ve posted on 2 of Charles’ well known mistresses on this blog Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland, and Nelly Gwynne. I hope to do some more posts on other royal favorites. His mistresses included the French Louise De Keroualle, Lucy Walter, the mother of his son, James Monmouth, Moll Davies, Hortense, Duchess of Mazarin, and Catherine Pegge and Lady Shannon. His brother, James II, although he was a devout almost fanatical Roman Catholic, had numerous mistresses, but Charles joked that his ladies were so plain that he felt sure they had been allocated to James by his confessor, as a penance.