CHARLES II'S FAVOURITE MISTRESS: Pretty, Witty, Nell Gwyn

Nell Gwyn would be aged about 10 when Charles II became king. At this time Nell lived in a slum with her mother and sister but soon she joined the theatre in Drury Lane, initially selling oranges. Women were now allowed to act on stage for the first time and Nell was spotted by two entrepreneurs who began training her as a comedienne. Following a spell in the country when the plague struck, Nell started to make a name for herself and was described by Pepys as "pretty, witty, Nell Gwyn". When her chance came, she directed a wink at the Royal box and was rewarded by an invitation to Charles's apartments. A famous liaison had begun, but Nell had rivals. One of them was the actress Moll Davis, and the jealous Nell contrived to give Moll a laxative before one of her evenings with the King, assisted by her friend Aphra Behn, a well-known female playwright and spy. Nell was much in demand as an actress, performing in plays by Dryden and Ben Jonson as well as more popular entertainments. She was becoming a star, and the King was impressed. He now spent more time with her than with his long-time mistress Barbara Villiers. In 1669 Nell became pregnant and gave birth to a son but was secure in the knowledge that she was now the main mistress, and was granted a house in Pall Mall soon afterwards. Nell was eventually supplanted by Louise de Kerouaille, whom Lady Worcester insulted by calling her a "tall French bitch" before kicking her repeatedly. Nell continued her friendship with the King and his associates such as Rochester until the end of her life, and this book details some fascinating examples of her involvement in political intrigue, including making sure that Charles was visited by a Catholic priest before his death. 184pp, black and white reproductions.