Royal mistress

Portrait of Nell Gwynne c.1680

A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or an heir apparent. Some mistresses have had considerable power. These powerful mistresses have been usually dubbed as The "power behind the throne." The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic considerations, leaving little space for the monarch's personal preferences in the choice of a mate.

In European history the children of mistresses were not normally included in the line of succession, except perhaps when secret marriages were alleged. Hence the Monmouth Rebellion when James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth claimed the thrones of England and Scotland on the grounds that his mother had been the wife, rather than a mistress of Charles II.

Royal mistresses in English history

• Edith Swanneck, mistress to King Harold II
• Rosamund Clifford, mistress to Henry II
• Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III
• Jane Shore, mistress to Edward IV
• Bessie Blount, mistress to Henry VIII
• Mary Boleyn, mistress to Henry VIII
• Anne Boleyn, mistress to Henry VIII

Royal mistresses in Scottish history

• Margaret Erskine, mistress to James V

Royal mistresses in British history

• Lucy Walter, mistress to Charles II
• Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress to Charles II
• Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress to Charles II
• Nell Gwynne, mistress to Charles II
• Moll Davis, mistress to Charles II
• Hortense Mancini, mistress to Charles II
• Arabella Churchill, mistress to James II
• Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester, mistress to James II
• Elizabeth Villiers, mistress to William III
• Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster, mistress to George I
• Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, mistress to George II
• Mary Scott, Countess of Deloraine (1703–44), mistress to George II^[1]
• Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress to George II
• Hannah Lightfoot, mistress to George III
• Maria Anne Fitzherbert, mistress to George IV
• Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, mistress to George IV
• Grace Elliot, mistress to George IV
• Mary Robinson, mistress to George IV
• Marchioness of Hertford mistress to George IV
• Marchioness Conyngham mistress to George IV
• Dorothy Jordan, mistress to Prince William who later became William IV
• Sarah Bernhardt mistress to Edward VII
• Jennie Jerome, mistress to Edward VII
• Lillie Langtry, mistress to Edward VII
• Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress to Edward VII
• Alice Keppel, mistress to Edward VII
• Agnes Keyser, mistress to Edward VII
• Freda Dudley Ward, mistress to Edward VIII
• Lady Furness, mistress to Edward VIII
• Wallis Simpson, mistress to Edward VIII
• Camilla Parker-Bowles, mistress to Charles, Prince of Wales

Royal mistresses in European history

• Anna Mons (Russia)
• Anna Lopukhina (Russia)
• Caroline Lacroix (Belgium)
• Joséphine de Beauharnais (France)
• Hedvig Taube (Sweden)
• Katharina Schratt (Austria)
• Lola Montez (Bavaria)
• Madame de Pompadour (France)
• Magda Lupescu (Romania)
• Maria Naryshkina (Russia)
• Maria Peres de Enxara, mistress to Afonso III of Portugal (Portugal)
• Marie, Countess Walewski (France)
• Mary Vetsera, Baroness (Austria)
• Bianca Cappello (Italy)

See also

• English royal mistress
• List of French royal mistresses
• Favourite, a term sometimes used for mistresses, although also used for court favourites of the monarch with no sexual element in the relationship, often serving as ministers.

References

• Herman, Eleanor. Sex with Kings: 500 years of adultery, power, rivalry, and revenge. Harpercollins. ISBN 0-06-058543-9
• In His Majesty's, Ahem, Service
• MacIntyre, Ben Farewell to the last royal mistress: Nell Gwyn, Madame de Pompadour and Camilla Parker Bowles; they all uphold a distinguished tradition
• "The King's mistress-a royal tradition". BBC News. 27 April 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4465399.stm. 
• "Profile of a royal mistress". wiki. http://www.ageofintrigue.com/wiki/index.php/Royal_Mistress. 

Further reading

• Friedman, Dennis (2003) Ladies of the Bedchamber:The Role of the Royal Mistress.U.K. Peter Owen Publishers ISBN 0-7206-1244-6
• Powell, Roger (2010) ROYAL SEX: Mistresses and the Lovers of the British Royal Family. Amberley ISBN 1-84868-212-3
• Carlton, Charles (1990) Royal Mistresses. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-00769-6
• Cawthorne, Nigel (1994) The Sex Lives of the Kings and Queens of England: from Henry VIII to the present day Prion ISBN 1-85375-139-1