The Windsor Beauties: Ladies of the Court of Charles II

by Lewis Melville

"The Duchess of York wished to have the portraits of the most beautiful women at Court," Anthony Hamilton wrote in the Memoirs of Count Grammont. "Lely painted them, and employed all his art in the execution. He could not have had more alluring sitters. Every portrait is a masterpiece." The original set of "Beauties" painted by Lely were, as we find from James II's catalogue, eleven in number, their names being Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland (née Villiers); Frances, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (née Stuart); Mrs. Jane Myddleton (née Needham); Elizabeth, Countess of Northumberland (née Wriothesley); Elizabeth, Countess of Falmouth (née Bagot); Elizabeth, Lady Denham (née Brooke); Frances, Lady Whitmore (née Brooke); Henrietta, Countess of Rochester (née Boyle); Elizabeth, Countess de Grammont (née Hamilton); and Madame d'Orleans. It will be seen that in this list of "Beauties" Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, does not figure; but since she was responsible for the collection, it would be peculiarly ungracious to omit her from a volume that treats of it. Also, she deserves inclusion for her supreme courage in selecting the sitters-for what must the ladies who were not chosen have said and thought of her? Nor in the series are Nell Gwyn, Louise de Kéroualle, and the Duchess Mazarin; but no account of the social life of the Court of Charles II can possibly omit mention of them, and therefore something has been said about each of these ladies. The new Revised Edition restores Melville's masterpiece of the intricate relationships and day-by-day account of court life in the reign of Charles II of England. This edition also adds a new glossary, bibliography, and extended footnotes for the lay history reader. Also included are first-ever translations of French language poems, letters, and epitaphs of St. Evremond completed by Coby Fletcher.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Art History

244 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Lewis Saul Benjamin (pen name, Lewis Melville; 1874–1932) was an English author.

Born into a Jewish family in London, England, he was educated privately in England and Germany. From 1896 to 1901 he was known as an actor, after which he devoted his time to writing antedating the letters of famous persons.

Reviews

[Jean Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A set of micro biographies of the women in the Lely series and their machinations at court than a discussion of the paintings themselves or why Anne Hyde chose these women over others.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace, elegance, sophistication, refinement and beauty is what we imagine when we think of women of royalty. Anne, Duchess of York, Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland, Elizabeth, Countess de Grammont, and Henrietta, Countess of Rochester are just a few of the women that are depicted in this book. Each held her own grace in society, but more so each had her own story, some of polished lives, others of dysfunction and scandal.

I found this book an interesting read because I knew very little, or nothing, of the ladies. I smiled often as I read the accounts of their lives and realized these women were no different from the women of our society today, especially those of the royal families. Not much has changed.