Charles II's Favourite Mistress by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Author:Sarah-Beth Watkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History / Military / Royalty
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2021-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Plots, Intrigues and Scandals 1676-1678

Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland, the King’s oldest mistress, was no longer in favour. Her relationship with the King was nothing like it had been in the early days of the Restoration and they spent little time together. He would always care for her and their children, as he cared for all his women and their offspring, but now Barbara decided it was time for a new life. The court no longer welcomed her as it once did. It was time to move to France. Nell hosted a leaving party for her in March 1676. Their relationship had had its ups and downs but Nell held no lasting animosity towards her. After all, she was with the King now.

With Barbara living in Paris, Charles now spent most of his time with Nell, although she did have to share him with his new mistress, Hortense. Louise was left out and feeling terrible. She had put on a lot of weight and felt unattractive, earning the nickname of Fubbs or Fubbsy (Chubby) from the King. She spent her days moping and weeping and banged her head against her bedpost, giving herself a black eye. Deciding to leave court for a time, she travelled down to Bath where the King occasionally visited her.

In August the French ambassador reported, ‘Yesterday evening I saw something which aroused all my pity ... I went to see Madame de Portsmouth. She opened her heart to me in the presence of two of her maids … Madame de Portsmouth explained to me what grief the frequent visits of the King of England to Madame de Sussex cause her every day … two girls remained propped against the wall with downcast eyes; their mistress let loose a torrent of tears. Sobs and sighs interrupted her speech. Indeed, I have never beheld a sadder or more touching sight.’1

Nell might have felt some sympathy for the ‘weeping willow’ – another one of her nicknames for Louise. The King came to her for supper but left in the evening for Hortense’s house. Hortense originally stayed at one of the Duke of York’s properties in St James’s Park until Charles gave her a house of her own in Chelsea. She was definitely flavour of the month, but Nell shrugged off her own feelings and turned it into another opportunity to send up Louise. Wearing black mourning clothes, she told everyone she was going into mourning for the death of all of Louise’s hopes and dreams. Hortense, added to the mix of mistresses, created a rivalry between the three women that became the talk of the court and something else for the rumour mill to latch on to.

Edmund Waller wrote a poem, The Triple Combat, which captured their rivalry, and Nell put in an appearance as Chloris.

Venus had been an equal friend to both,

And victory to declare herself seems loth;

Over the camp, with doubtful wings, she flies,

Till Chloris shining in the field she spies.

The lovely Chloris well-attended came,

A thousand Graces

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