Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 165

Judith – The first Queen from the Habsburg dynasty

When Judith of Habsburg was born in 1271, her father was just a mere Count, and no one could guess that the Habsburg family would one day become the most powerful dynasty in Europe.  Judith was the youngest of six daughters of her parents, and at her birth, they probably could not have guessed that she would one day be a Queen.

From Count’s daughter to Imperial Princess  

Judith was born on 13 March 1271 to Rudolf, Count of Habsburg and Gertrude of Hohenberg.  On 1 October 1273, Rudolf was elected as King of the Romans.  Soon afterwards he married his two older daughters to two of the most powerful German princes to secure the Holy Roman Empire’s support.  In 1279, he married two more of his daughters to powerful imperial Princes.  The most impressive marriages would come for his two youngest daughters, Clementia and Judith.  In 1274, a marriage between Judith and Charles Martel, the grandson of the King of Naples was considered.  Judith and Charles Martel were the same age.  However, plans for this marriage soon fell apart.  In 1281, Clementia married Charles instead.

In 1378, a new match was being considered for Judith, this time to Wenceslaus, son of the King of Bohemia, and one of her father’s greatest rivals.  That year, Rudolf and the Bohemian King, Ottokar II, fought against each other in the Battle of the Marchfeld.  Ottokar was killed in the battle, and soon afterwards, his widow, Kunigunda of Slavonia turned to Rudolf for help.  Rudolf and Kunigunda came to an agreement that would be sealed with the marriage of their children.  The new King of Bohemia, Wenceslaus II, and Judith, both seven years old, were betrothed.  There was also a betrothal between Rudolf’s youngest son, another Rudolf, and Wenceslaus’ sister, Agnes.  In January 1279, a symbolic marriage ceremony took place for Judith and Wenceslaus.  Soon afterwards, Judith returned to Vienna for the next six years.

Queen of Bohemia

Judith and Wenceslaus were officially married in January 1285 in the town of Cheb.  Judith was given some large parts of Austria for her dowry.  The marriage was consummated, but Rudolf took Judith back home soon after the ceremony.  This was because he considered the environment of the Bohemian court to be sinful.  Here, the Queen mother, Kunigunda, was living in an out-of-wedlock relationship with her lover, Zavis of Falkenstein.  Kunigunda and Zavis eventually married, but she died later that year.

Judith returned to Bohemia to live with Wenceslaus in 1287.  A coronation was announced for the young royal couple, but it did not occur for another ten years.  Like Rudolf, Judith hated Zavis of Falkenstein.  He had fallen out of favour at the Bohemian court after Kunigunda’s death.  Judith was said to have a great influence on Wenceslaus, and possibly because of her, the King’s relationship with Zavis deteriorated.  Zavis was eventually arrested and brought to trial, and in 1290, he was executed.  Judith was present at his execution.

Judith was described as beautiful and virtuous.  She was also described as very dominant, often setting the tone for the royal court.  Judith and Wenceslaus appear to have had a harmonious relationship.  They were often together, and Wenceslaus seemed to rely on her.  She also acted as a mediator between Wenceslaus and her brother, Albert, after her father’s death in 1291.  Judith is also believed to have brought some German influences to the Bohemian court, such as German art and music.  She also proved to be fertile, and during the next ten years, she was constantly pregnant.  Judith gave birth to a total of ten children, including a pair of twins:

  Premysl Ottokar (1288-1288)
  Wenceslaus III, King of Bohemia (1289-1306) succeeded his father
  Agnes (1289-c.1296) twin of Wenceslaus, betrothed to Ruprecht of Nassau
  Anne (1290-1313) Married Henry, Duke of Carinthia and King of Bohemia
  Elizabeth (1292-1330) Married John of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia
  Judith (1293-1294)
  John (1294-1294)
  John (1295-1296)
  Margaret (1296-1322) Married Boleslaw III, Duke of Wroclaw
  Judith (1297-1297)

These constant pregnancies seemed to have taken a toll on Judith, and of the ten children, only four survived childhood.  On 2 June 1297, Wenceslaus and Judith were finally crowned.  Judith, having given birth to her tenth child less than two weeks before, was not in good health at the time of the coronation.  Within the past decade, she had been pregnant nine times.  Having the coronation soon after the birth of her last child in a long string of pregnancies weakened her even more.  Judith died sixteen days later, on 18 June 1297, aged 26.  Her last child, a namesake daughter, died around the same time.

Judith was buried at St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague.  It seems that Judith’s main duty as Queen was to birth children.  However, there is evidence of other activities of hers, such as her influence on her husband and the Bohemian court.  She could have become a very successful queen, had she lived longer.  Six years after her death, Wenceslaus married Elizabeth-Richeza of Poland.  He outlived Judith by eight years, dying in 1305. 1

The post Judith – The first Queen from the Habsburg dynasty appeared first on History of Royal Women.

A new sneak peek at The Crown season 4

Netflix has given us yet another sneak peek at The Crown season 4 – set the premiere on 15 November.

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The Year of Queen Wilhelmina – The engagement of Henry and Wilhelmina

“Only a German Prince will do.” – Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany in 1899

Emperor Wilhelm wasn’t the only who believed that only a German Prince would do for the young Queen Wilhelmina; her mother wanted it too. But while Emperor Wilhelm preferred Frederick William of Prussia, who also happened to be a quarter Dutch as the grandson of Princess Marianne of the Netherlands (daughter of King William I), Emma preferred the two youngest sons of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Adolf Frederick and Henry. Their sister-in-law Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – married to their elder brother Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin – was in contact with Queen Emma. In 1896, she and her husband were invited to The Loo Palace and Soestdijk Palace. The name’s of her husband’s half-brothers must have been mentioned during this time.

Wilhelmina had met both brothers for the first time in 1892 when she was just 12 years old. The meeting had happened at her aunt Sophie‘s golden wedding anniversary celebrations in Weimar but was unlikely to have made a lasting impression on the young Queen. A second meeting with Henry planned for 1898 had to be cancelled because Wilhelmina had been ill. It wasn’t until May 1900, another meeting was arranged.

From 8 May until 5 June, the two Queens were going to visit Schwarzburg, staying in the Weisser Hirsch hotel. Wilhelmina could take long walks without being seen, and she could also meet potential suitors. As Schwarzburg was also the home of Henry’s maternal family, and he happened to be visiting his grandmother, she met Henry first. In return, the two Queens also visited Schloss Schwarzburg and received an invitation for a walk and picnic from Henry’s unmarried aunt Thekla. Apparently, the picnic and walk were so much fun that Wilhelmina wondered, “if a walk hand in hand through life was to be recommended.”1

It should be noted that Henry’s brother Adolf never did show his face in Schwarzburg, but the Emperor’s candidate Frederick William did show his face. Wilhelmina thought he had a baby-face (they were actually only a few weeks apart in age) and quickly vetoed him. This left only Henry. Wilhelmina later wrote in her memoirs, “When he had left, a few days later, we had dinner with Grandmother Schwarzburg. I missed him very much, although it was a pleasant evening.”2

Henry was silent for a long time after the trip to Schwarzburg and he did not contact Wilhelmina again until October. They became officially engaged on 12 October 1900. After lunch, Wilhelmina and Henry were finally left alone for a few moments. Just ten minutes later, the two emerged as an engaged couple. She later wrote in her memoirs, “The die was cast. What a relief that always is on these occasions!”3

Wilhelmina wrote to her former governess, “Oh Darling, you cannot even faintly imagine how franticly happy I am and how much joy, and sunshine has come upon my path.”4

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The Year of Queen Wilhelmina – Wilhelmina’s baptism

In early 1880 the new Queen Emma of the Netherlands realised she was expecting. By March, rumours were circulating around the country. In the evening of 30 August 1880, Emma went into labour at Noordeinde Palace and her husband was by her side throughout. A Princess was born the following day at six o’clock in the evening, much to (almost) everyone’s joy. A 51-gun salute welcomed the Princess. King William showed no disappointment in the gender of his fourth child. She received the names Wilhelmina (a traditional Orange-Nassau name) Helena Pauline Maria (after three of Emma’s sisters). She was initially known as Pauline, though her parents later switched to Wilhelmina. The following day, William registered the birth himself and insisted on showing off the newborn Princess to the gentlemen in attendance, calling her “a beautiful child.”1

At the time of her birth, the future Queen was third in the line of succession. At the time, the Netherlands operated on a semi-salic line of succession, and so, she was behind her elder half-brother Alexander (the only one of her three half-brothers still living) but also behind her great-uncle Prince Frederick. Prince Frederick died in 1881 without any surviving sons, followed by the unmarried Alexander in 1884, leaving Wilhelmina as her father’s heir at the age of four.

The baptism of the infant Princess took place on 12 October 1880 in the reformed Willemskerk in The Hague with all the royal ceremony they could muster. There was a horsedrawn carriage with six horses, three lackeys by the door and two gentlemen who carried the train of the satin baptismal gown. The baptismal gown would be worn by Princess Juliana in 1909, Princess Beatrix in 1938, Prince Willem-Alexander in 1967 and Princess Catharina Amalia in 2004.

(public domain)

 

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Pastor Van Koetsveld held the sermon with the words, “Children are the blossom of life.” For the first time in many years, it was the mother herself who held Wilhelmina as she was baptised. Most of the extended family was present, except for Emma’s mother who was not well and Wilhelmina’s half-brother Alexander.

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Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray by Julia Abel Smith Book Review

Lady Augusta Murray was the unrecognised wife of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex. Their marriage in 1793 was in contravention to the Royal Marriages Act 1772, and so it was considered to be invalid. Augusta was not recognised as his wife and could not be styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Augustus Frederick (Augustus wasn’t created Duke of Sussex until 1801). Nevertheless, Augusta and the Prince went on to have two children together before he left her. The children were given the last name d’Este, while Augusta was eventually granted the last name De Ameland. After a lengthy battle, she was ultimately granted a pension as well. Augustus did not remarry until after Augusta’s death.

Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray by Julia Abel Smith traces the life of this would-be Princess in great detail and with flair. Augusta comes to life as an enigmatic and strong woman, who fought for her marriage until Augustus wanted to separate. Not much was known about Augusta’s life, and this book certainly fills the void. I’d highly recommend it.

Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray by Julia Abel Smith is available now in both the UK and the US.

The post Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray by Julia Abel Smith Book Review appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Taking a look at Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

The future Crown Princess of Norway was born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 19 August 1973 as the daughter of Sven Høiby and Marit Tjessem. She has a sister and two older brothers. Following her parents’ divorce in 1984, she lived with her mother, and her mother eventually remarried to Rolf Berntsen, and Mette-Marit gained a stepbrother named Trond who was tragically killed in the 2011 Norway Attacks. She grew up in Kristiansand, which was also the place of her birth, and she loved to sail and play volleyball.

Mette-Marit spent a year abroad in Australia during her upper secondary education at Kristiansand Katedralskole, and she graduated in 1994. She then attended the Bjørknes Private School, and she took the preliminary university examination as well as examinations in chemistry and information technology at Agder University College in 1997. From 2000 until 2002, she studied ethics at the Faculty of Social Science and the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Oslo. In 2003, she took courses at the University of London and from 2008 until 2012 she studied at the BI Norwegian School of Management in Oslo, where she completed her Master of Management.

After having a child with Morten Borg in 1997, a son named Marius Borg Høiby, she became acquainted with Crown Prince Haakon in 1999. Their engagement was announced on 1 December 2000 to a rather lukewarm reception by the Norwegian people. She was considered to be unsuitable, not in the least because of her self-admitted rebellious youth. Her first official appearance came nine days later at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on 10 December. A few days before the wedding, Mette-Marit spoke of her youth. “My youth rebellion was much stronger than many others. That resulted in me living quite a wild life. We overstepped the limits. It was a costly experience for me, that I took a long time to get over.” She added that she hoped the issue of her past would now be closed. Crown Prince Haakon said during the press conference announcing their engagement that his parents had been very supportive. “What we two found together was so strong that I could not let it go.”1

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Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon were married on 25 August 2001 at Oslo Cathedral with many foreign royals in attendance. She wore a dress of white silk crepe and a 20-foot long veil. Crown Prince Haakon wore an army uniform. Instead of walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, she and Crown Prince Haakon walked together. Her young son served as page boy while Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was Haakon’s best man. Upon marriage, she became Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.

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On 21 January 2004 at 9:13 am, Mette-Marit gave birth to her first child with Haakon – a daughter named Ingrid Alexandra. Their daughter will be Norway’s first Queen regnant since Queen Margaret, who ruled over Norway, Denmark and Sweden 500 years ago, owing to Norway introduction of absolute primogeniture in 1990. On 3 December 2005, she gave birth to a son named Sverre Magnus. Unlike his grandparents, parents and sister, he is not part of the Norwegian Royal House – though he is, of course, a member of the Royal Family. He also has the style of His Highness, rather than the style of Royal Highness that his parents and sister have.

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Since becoming Crown Princess, Mette-Marit became the patron of several organisations, including the Norwegian Red Cross. She also became an ambassador for Norwegian literature, and she established The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s Foundation with her husband.

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In 2018, it was announced that she was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which has no cure. She is undergoing treatment at Oslo University Hospital.

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The Year of Queen Wilhelmina – Wilhelmina receives the Military Order of William

The Military Order of William is the highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and was named for St. William of Gellone, the very first Prince of Orange. It was founded in 1815 by King William I of the Netherlands for bravery on the battlefield and as a decoration for senior military officers. It is open to everyone, regardless of rank, and extends to foreigners as well. It is currently very rarely awarded. Its motto is “For Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty.”

After the Second World War, it was decided that the Military Order of William could also be granted to civilians for heroics in the resistance. One of the first acts of Queen Juliana as sovereign was to sign the order to grant her mother, then known as Princess Wilhelmina, the Grand Cross of the Military William Order. The official ceremony took place in Arnhem on 7 October 1948, and Queen Juliana praised her mother as “Mother of the Fatherland”, who had strengthened the will of the people in the days of the occupation during the Second World War.1 Several others were also awarded the Military Order of William in a lower class. The four classes are Knight Grand Cross, Commander, Knight 3rd Class and Knight 4th Class. Upon acceptance, an oath is spoken: “I swear that I shall conduct myself as a faithful and valiant Knight, to stand ever ready to defend King and Country with my Life, and with all my Powers to always strive to be worthy of this Distinction, which the King has bestowed upon me. So help me, God almighty.”

Wilhelmina learned that she would be awarded the order during Juliana’s speech at her inauguration. She wrote in her memoirs, “When all were seated, Juliana delivered her speech, to which I listened in breathless tension. I have read it many times since. What she said to me came so directly from the heart that I felt a little less embarrassed and unhappy than I should have done if the words had come from another. This also applied to my appointment as a knight first class of the Military Order of William, which came as a complete surprise. I regard this as a tribute to all my brave fellow-fighters during the war.”2

As of 2020, there are four living knights.

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Cecily of York – A banished Princess (Part two)

Read part one here.

A new contender now rose to the stage, and his name was Henry Tudor. It was decided that if he should invade and win, he would marry Cecily’s elder sister Elizabeth – uniting the houses of Lancaster and York. For Cecily, the loss of her status and knowing that her brothers were probably dead was devastating. On 1 March 1484, Cecily and her sisters finally left sanctuary after King Richard III offered them his protection. This may have seemed like an unwise decision, given what had likely happened to her brothers, but there really wasn’t any choice – she could not remain in sanctuary forever and this way she might still make some honourable marriage. The chronicler Edward Hall wrote of her mother’s decision to release them, “Putting into oblivion the murder of her innocent children, the infamy and dishonour spoken by the King her husband, the living in adultery laid to her charge, the bastardising of her daughters, forgetting also the faithful prayers and open oath made to the Countess of Richmond, mother of the earl Henry, blinded by avaricious affection and seduced by flatterings words, [she] delivered into King Richard’s hands her five daughters as lambs once again committed to the custody of the ravenous wolf.”1

The sisters were probably placed in Queen Anne’s household until their mother finally left sanctuary and they were able to join her. In early 1485, Richard arranged for Cecily to marry Ralph Scrope of Upsall, a far cry from the future King she was going to marry. He was the second son of Thomas, the 5th Baron Scrope of Masham. Upon the accession of Henry Tudor in August 1485, who became King Henry VII, he had Cecily’s marriage dissolved. Cecily was present and active in the christening of her nephew Prince Arthur – Henry and Elizabeth’s first son – and also in the following coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Sometime between 25 November and 31 December 1487, Cecily married for a second time – to the half-brother of King Henry VII’s mother Margaret Beaufort – John, Viscount Welles. Cecily reportedly got on well with Margaret Beaufort.

John and Cecily went on to have at least two daughters together, but both girls were to die young. Cecily was not present for the funeral arrangements of her mother in 1492, possibly because she was pregnant, but her sisters Anne, Catherine and Bridget were present. Anne was the chief mourner.

Cecily was widowed on 9 February 1499, when John died of pleurisy in London. In his will, he stated that all his property should go to Cecily for life and that his body should be interred where she deemed appropriate. He was interred in the old Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. Cecily apparently returned to the household of her sister Elizabeth, where she had also served until her second wedding. In 1501, it was Cecily who carried the train of Catherine of Aragon as she married Arthur, Prince of Wales. During the festivities, she danced twice with her nephew.

Sometime after 13 May 1502, Cecily married for the third time. Her chosen husband was Thomas Kyme (or Kymbe or Keme). This third wedding apparently happened without the King’s consent as Henry had her banished from court, and he confiscated the lands she had inherited from her second husband. It was Margaret Beaufort who took an interest in the Welles lands, possibly to help Cecily as the two had been friendly. Margaret also offered Cecily and Thomas shelter at Collyweston. Margaret approached Henry on Cecily’s behalf and managed to negotiate a settlement with him, whereupon Cecily’s life interest in the Welles lands was partly reinstated in 1504. She was still in disgrace when her sister Elizabeth gave birth to her final child in 1503 and subsequently died. She was allowed to attend the ceremonies surrounding the funeral but, even though she was the elder sister, she was not allowed to act as chief mourner.

Cecily and Thomas moved to the Isle of Wight and had two children together, but they were never acknowledged by the royal family. Margaret Beaufort kept a room reserved for them at her Croydon manor. 2 Cecily died on 24 August 1507 and may have been buried at Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. If she was, her tomb was lost in the reformation. She may have also been buried at the friary at King’s Langley.3 In any case, Margaret Beaufort paid for part of the funeral expenses.

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Cecily of York – Daughter of York (Part one)

Cecily of York was born on 20 March 1469 as the third daughter of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. As the third consecutive daughter born to a reigning King without sons, her birth was a disappointment and the King and his lords “rejoiced exceedingly, though they would have preferred a son.”1 The following year, her mother gave birth to a son, the future King Edward V. Several more siblings followed over the years, including two more brothers, though not all would survive to adulthood. Cecily was delivered by a midwife named Marjorie or Margaret Cobb, who was granted a pension and later also delivered her younger brother Edward.

As the daughter of a King, Cecily was brought up to be pious and morally irreproachable. She and her sisters were taught to be future Queens and to run their own households. They were taught to read and write, though Cecily’s handwriting and spelling were considered to be atrocious. She would have also learned to dance, to ride, play a musical instrument and needlework.

In October 1474, then just aged five, Cecily was betrothed to the future James IV, King of Scots, himself only two years old at the time. This was done “in the interest of peace.”2 A formal ceremony of betrothal took place in Edinburgh and a proxy stood in for Cecily. From then on, she was styled as “the Princess of Scots.”3 The following year, her elder sister Elizabeth was betrothed to the future King Charles VIII of France and it was decided that she would go to France at the age of 12. She became known as “Madame la Dauphine” at court.4

Cecily and her sisters Mary and Elizabeth were present at the wedding of their four-year-old brother Richard to the five-year-old heiress Anne Mowbray on 15 January 1478. They sat beneath a canopy of cloth-of-gold while the dispensation permitting the marriage was read out. Two years later, Cecily and Mary were made Ladies of the Garter, following their elder sister Elizabeth who had been made a Lady of the Garter in 1477.

More marriages were in the works; in 1481 Prince Edward was betrothed to Anne of Brittany, heiress to the duchy of Brittany, and Mary was betrothed to the future King Frederick I of Denmark. The Scots also began pressing Cecily’s father to have her sent to Scotland, but the marriage treaty came under threat when King James III led a raid over the border. The engagement was broken off, and she was betrothed Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, the exiled younger brother of James III, King of Scots. However, this changed again when the Duke of Albany made peace with his brother, and Cecily was once more betrothed to James’s son. In October 1481, the betrothal was called off once and for all.  The alliance with Denmark died when young Princess Mary died at the age of 14 on 23 May 1482. At the end of 1482, the alliance with France was also in shreds. Cecily’s father’s grand design for his daughters came to nothing.

The following Christmas was the last one the family would spend together. On 9 April 1483, King Edward IV died after a short illness. Cecily’s 12-year-old brother was proclaimed King Edward V two days later. The following tumultuous period saw the destiny’s of Cecily and her siblings changed forever. Cecily’s uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, seized power and became King Richard III, with her parents’ marriage being declared null and void and Cecily and her siblings declared illegitimate. Cecily fled into sanctuary with her mother and siblings – save for Edward, who was already with his uncle. Young Edward was lodged in the Tower of London as the council tried to persuade Cecily’s mother to leave sanctuary. Eventually, she was forced to give up her second son Richard to the Duke of Gloucester as well. He was lodged in the Tower with his brother, and they would never emerge from there – disappearing sometime that summer.

Part two coming soon.

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Moll Davis – Common actress to royal mistress

Mary Davis, better known as Moll, was supposedly born in the year 1648 in London. Her background and even the identities of her parents are a bit of a mystery, but it seems she was an illegitimate child of Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Berkshire and an unknown woman.

Moll rose to fame as an actress in the Dukes Theatre Company. At the time this was a new career for women; as female actors had only just been allowed to perform on stage after King Charles II signed a royal warrant in 1662. Moll stood out in the company as she was known to be an incredible dancer and comedian as well as actress; these skills, combined with her beauty, made her very attractive.

King Charles II was very fond of visiting the theatre and loved to surround himself with musicians and actresses, probably as a way to escape the pressure of courtly life. King Charles enjoyed the relaxed company of the actresses and often engaged in flings or one night stands with such women. However, the philandering King preferred to keep noblewomen as his long-term mistresses.

Barbara Palmer (Public domain)

In the mid-1660s, King Charles’ main mistress was Barbara Palmer; she was a Lady of the Bedchamber for the Queen, the mother of five of King Charles’ children and was pulling many strings politically in the King’s court. If anybody wanted the favour of the King or a good position at court, then they had to go through Barbara. It was this situation that caused the King to be introduced to the idea of taking an actress as a mistress instead. This idea was said to have been concocted by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham who was Barbara’s’s cousin, he was supposedly unhappy that his cousin was not promoting him enough at court and so planned to drive the King’s attention elsewhere. Barbara Palmer and other noble mistresses were a significant drain on the country’s finances, they controlled political factions, and they were awarded titles and estates- an actress, however, was funny, beautiful, amusing and great company and being low-born and often relatively poor they would not ask for much in the way of compensation.

In around 1667, three actresses were introduced to the King; one of these was Nell Gwyn who later became a long-term mistress of the King, but at this stage, the relationship did not take off as Nell was seeking too high a payment. Another of the actresses was Moll, the King fell for her charms after watching her perform a beautiful ballad, and Moll only asked for half of the funds that Nell had requested! The agreement was made, Moll agreed to become the King’s mistress and would receive a stunning house on the fashionable Suffolk street, as well as £200 a year. For a woman who was previously lodging with the theatre manager, this was a great opportunity which Moll intended to make the most of.

Samuel Pepys (public domain)

Much of our knowledge on Moll Davis comes from The Diary of Samuel Pepys. Pepys was obsessed with the royal mistresses and loved to gossip and write about their comings and goings. From the start of her relationship with the King, Moll is said to have flaunted her wealth which she received from the King, and she began to gain a reputation for being vulgar, Samuel Pepys’ wife went as far as calling Moll “the most impertinent slut in the world”. This was after Mrs Pepys witnessed the King and Moll together at the theatre along with Barbara Palmer, his chief mistress. The King is said to have gazed at Moll the entire night while Barbara was “melancholy and out of humour, all the play, not smiling once”.

Perhaps Moll was aware that with the way she conducted herself in public, she wouldn’t last long as a royal mistress or maybe she was just young and naïve either way, she continued to show off about her relationship with the King. From Pepys diary we also hear of how she showed everyone a ring that the King gave to her which was worth 700l (a significant amount), we hear of her beautiful home and also her ”mighty pretty fine coach”. It seems that during this time, Moll was living life to the full and that the King loved to spend his time with her and his money on her.

Over the next year, Moll and the King’s relationship began to fall apart. This may have been a natural dwindling of affections, but it seems that in part it was due to the interference of other mistresses. One example of meddling is that Nell Gwyn, Charles’ more recent actress mistress wanted to be rid of Moll; she is said to have invited Moll for tea when she knew Moll and the King were due to see each other later, here Nell fed laxative laced foods to Moll which obviously ruined her evening with the King!

Lady Mary Tudor (public domain)

After a few intensely passionate years together, Moll and the King began to see less and less of each other. Moll returned to the stage and became a very famous actress, continuing to perform at court where she would spend occasional nights with the King. It is clear that these encounters continued many years after the pair stopped being an official couple as in 1673 Moll gave birth to a daughter fathered by the King. This daughter was named Lady Mary Tudor due to her royal links. The King recognised the child, and in later years she was awarded a yearly pension and given precedence to equal that of the child of a Duke (this protected her rank in royal settings). Moll continued to visit court even after her daughter was born and Lady Mary even performed on stage with her mother at a young age. After the birth of her daughter, Moll was given an even more impressive home.

It seems that Moll always loved King Charles or at least felt somehow bound to him because it was not until three years after the King’s death that she was finally married. Moll was married to a musician called James Paisible whom she had worked with in the past. After King James II was removed from the throne of England and fled to France, Moll and her husband joined the court in exile. It was not until 1693 that Moll and James Paisible returned to England after successfully winning a legal battle to gain access to Moll’s’s pension from Charles. After their return to England, James Paisible became a composer at Queen Anne’s’s court, and the couple is said to have lived a quiet life.

Moll Davis died in her birthplace of London in 1708 after a life filled with adventure, her daughter Lady Mary Tudor continued her mother’s legacy as she became a famous actress in her own right. Moll may be one of Charles II’s’s lesser-known mistresses, but her story is no less interesting, and she left her mark at Charles” court and on the history of theatre.

Sources:

*The Diary of Samuel Pepys

* Charles Carlton- Royal Mistresses

* George Southcombe and Grant Tapsell- Restoration Politics, Religion and Culture

* Tim Harris- Restoration: Charles II and His Kingdoms 1660-1685

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