A look at history reveals that many past British kings were serial philanderers. How could they lie to their legitimately wedded wives and their children, and in the case of Charles II, effectively appoint himself a pimp to procure as many women as possible? To be fair to the sovereigns, royal weddings were seldom about love, and almost always about annexing kingdoms and political power. The act of consummation was important to produce an heir, rather than symbolise a romantic union.
As we all love a bit of sensationalism, we bring you the stories of Britain’s three most famous mistresses, who in some cases wielded as much, if not more power than their reigning lovers.
The queen: Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII was quite the cad. Known for his promiscuity, he also had a habit of beheading his wives when he got bored of them. During Henry’s first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he had an affair with Mary Boleyn, who he swiftly packed off to the countryside once their liaison came to an end. This didn’t deter her younger sister Anne from getting involved with him.
Anne was the daughter of a diplomat and therefore a member of the court, where she already had many admirers when Henry began to woo her. He gave her expensive gifts and bestowed titles on members of her family, like making her father the Earl of Wiltshire. But Anne wasn’t stupid - she refused to sleep with him unless he married her. What’s a man to do in such circumstances? Oblige of course, and Anne became his second wife.
This wasn’t without its problems. The Pope had refused to annul his previous marriage to Catherine as she just so happened to be the aunt of the Roman emperor Charles V, and it wouldn’t be wise to upset him. This was no big deal for Henry, who declared himself head of the Church of England and named a new archbishop to take care of proceedings.
Unfortunately for Anne, she gave birth to a daughter rather than a son (according to the rules of primogeniture the heir to the throne is the first born son), and when her next two pregnancies ended in miscarriage Henry started to think she might be cursed. So some allegations of adultery and witchcraft appeared, and she was thrown into the Tower of London and beheaded.
\n\nThe rags-to-riches tale: Nell Gwynne
Since childhood Nell Gwynne worked as an orange seller at the Drury Theatre, a job that typically involved the sale of a fair bit more than just fruit. These were the days when going to the theatre was the equivalent of visiting a strip joint today, and when plays were generally of a raunchy nature. Nell became romantically involved with an actor who helped her get parts on the stage; she was a talented performer, even compelling Samuel Pepys to write about her in his diaries.
King Charles II heard of her acting ability, and was very taken with her upon their first meeting. It was easy to see why; Nell was sweet-natured and kind as well as quick-witted and feisty (on one occasion her coachman got into a fight with a man who had called her a whore, and her way of breaking it up was to retort with “I am a whore, find something else to fight about!”) She was also the first documented mistress of a king to not come from aristocratic stock, and out of Charles’ 13 other squeezes, the only one who seemingly wasn’t a gold digger.
Their relationship lasted 17 years until Charles’ death, and she bore him one son. There is no doubt that Charles loved her, as he made provisions for her to be cared for financially after he died.
\n\nThe famous actress: Lillie Langtry
Edward VII was another well-known adulterer, and in 1877 he embarked on an affair with society girl Lillie Langtry. Lillie was a 19th century It Girl, a popular guest at parties because of her sense of style and wicked humour. At a dinner, Edward asked to be seated next to her. He was so impressed he started inviting her and her husband Edward Langtry on holidays with him; soon the two would be meeting up whenever her spouse was away. And so Lillie became his official mistress, accompanying him to social events, and the Prince stopped seeing other women (with the exception of his wife course).
Lillie’s star soared ever higher, with fashion designers falling over themselves to dress her and the press speculating what her next movements may be. This all changed when her affair with Edward ended, and she suddenly found herself with an empty diary. Faced with bankruptcy, she began a career in the theatre. She formed her own production company and toured the States, acquiring even greater fame and fortune than she had before. Oscar Wilde was a huge fan, and even her former lover Edward turned up to watch her perform. She managed the Imperial Theatre for several years; she is also famous for being one of the first celebrities to endorse products, appearing in adverts for soaps and cosmetics.
Check out our feature on the mostcontroversial monarchs over the years.
