Royal mistress

A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or an heir apparent. Some mistresses have had considerable power; such mistresses have sometimes been referred to as the "power behind the throne". The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic considerations, leaving little space for the monarch's personal preferences in the choice of a mate.

In European history the children of mistresses were not normally included in the line of succession, except perhaps when secret marriages were alleged. During the Monmouth Rebellion, for example, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth supported his claim to the thrones of England and Scotland by alleging that his mother had been secretly married to Charles II.

Royal mistresses in English history

• Edith the Fair (Edith Swanneck), mistress to King Harold II
• Rosamund Clifford, mistress to Henry II
• Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III
• Jane Shore, mistress to Edward IV
• Bessie Blount, mistress to Henry VIII
• Mary Boleyn, mistress to Henry VIII
• Anne Boleyn, mistress and later wife to Henry VIII
• Isabel Osorio, mistress of Philip II of Spain, Portugal, England and Ireland

Royal mistresses in Scottish history

• Margaret Erskine, mistress to James V

Royal mistresses in British history

• Lucy Walter, mistress to Charles II
• Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress to Charles II
• Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress to Charles II
• Nell Gwyn, mistress to Charles II
• Moll Davis, mistress to Charles II
• Hortense Mancini, mistress to Charles II
• Arabella Churchill, mistress to James II
• Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester, mistress to James II
• Elizabeth Villiers, mistress to William III
• Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, mistress to George I
• Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, mistress to George II
• Mary Scott, Countess of Deloraine (1703–44), mistress to George II
• Amalie von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth, mistress to George II
• Maria Fitzherbert, mistress to George IV
• Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, mistress to George IV
• Grace Elliott, mistress to George IV
• Mary Robinson, mistress to George IV
• Marchioness of Hertford mistress to George IV
• Marchioness Conyngham mistress to George IV
• Dorothy Jordan, mistress to Prince William, who later became William IV
• Susan Vane-Tempest, mistress to Edward VII
• Sarah Bernhardt mistress to Edward VII
• Jennie Jerome, mistress to Edward VII
• Lillie Langtry, mistress to Edward VII
• Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress to Edward VII
• Alice Keppel, mistress to Edward VII
• Agnes Keyser, mistress to Edward VII
• Freda Dudley Ward, mistress to Edward VIII
• Lady Furness, mistress to Edward VIII
• Wallis Simpson, mistress and later wife to Edward VIII
• Camilla Parker Bowles, mistress and later wife to Charles, Prince of Wales

Royal mistresses in European history

• Anna Mons (Russia – Peter the Great)
• Anna Lopukhina (Russia)
• Caroline Lacroix (Belgium)
• Diane de Poitiers (France)
• Hedvig Taube (Sweden)
• Katharina Schratt (Austria)
• Lola Montez (Bavaria)
• Madame de Pompadour (France)
• Magda Lupescu (Romania)
• Maria Naryshkina (Russia)
• Maria Peres de Enxara, mistress to Afonso III of Portugal (Portugal)
• Marie, Countess Walewski (France)
• Mary Vetsera, Baroness (Austria)
• Bianca Cappello (Italy)
• Rosa Vercellana (Italy)
• Sophie Amalie Moth (Denmark)
• Agnes of Kuenring (Bohemia)
• Émilie Ambre (Netherlands and Luxembourg)
• Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps (Belgium)
• Juliane Karoline Philippine Baronnesse von der Goltz (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg)
• Alicia von Bielefeld (Netherlands)
• Hélène Grinda (Netherlands)
• Susanna Diehl (Netherlands)
• Keetje van Raamsdonk (Netherlands)
• Dorothea van Dijck (Netherlands)
• Willemijn Hendriks (Netherlands)
• Klaasje Vos (Netherlands)
• Hendrica Maria Bohnenkamp (Netherlands)
• Gerritje te Hope (Netherlands)
• Charlotte de Muynck (Netherlands)
• Lena van Staalduinen (Netherlands)
• Aaltje de Leeuw (Netherlands)
• Willemina Baauw (Netherlands)
• Amalia Veronica van Appel (Netherlands)
• Paulina Susanna Cornelia Hoynck van Papendrecht (Netherlands)
• Maria Johanna Liebertina Temminck (Netherlands)
• Willemina Martina (Mien) Wenneker (Netherlands)
• Nel Timmermans (Netherlands)
• Elisabeth van Bork (Netherlands)
• Geertrude Duplessis (Netherlands)
• Sophia Teixeira de Mattas (Netherlands)
• Alice Louise van Hemert (Netherlands)
• Fien de la Mar (Netherlands)
• Mies van Bemmel (Netherlands)
• Johanna van Gelder (Netherlands)
• Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan (France)
• Louise de La Vallière (France)
• Marie Angélique de Scorailles (France)
• Isabelle de Ludres (France)
• Arcadie Meyer (Belgium)
• Caroline Bauer (Belgium)
• Sybille de Selys Longchamps (Belgium)
• Bárbara Rey née María García (Spain)
• Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn née Larsen (Spain)

See also

• Maîtresse-en-titre
• English royal mistress
• List of French royal mistresses
• Favourite, a term sometimes used for mistresses, although also used for court favourites of the monarch with no sexual element in the relationship, often serving as ministers.
• Consort
• Concubinage
• Issue (genealogy)
• Royal bastard
• Royal descent

References

• Herman, Eleanor. (2005). Sex with Kings: 500 years of adultery, power, rivalry, and revenge. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-058543-9
• In His Majesty's, Ahem, Service
• MacIntyre, Ben Farewell to the last royal mistress: Nell Gwyn, Madame de Pompadour and Camilla Parker Bowles; they all uphold a distinguished tradition
• "The King's mistress-a royal tradition". BBC News. 27 April 2005.
• "Profile of a royal mistress". wiki.

Further reading

• Friedman, Dennis. (2003). Ladies of the Bedchamber:The Role of the Royal Mistress. UK: Peter Owen Publishers. ISBN 0-7206-1244-6
• Powell, Roger. (2010). ROYAL SEX: Mistresses and the Lovers of the British Royal Family. Amberley. ISBN 1-84868-212-3
• Carlton, Charles. (1990). Royal Mistresses. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-00769-6
• Cawthorne, Nigel. (1994). The Sex Lives of the Kings and Queens of England: from Henry VIII to the present day. Prion. ISBN 1-85375-139-1