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 partner.

In European history the children of mistresses were not typically 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) (c. 1025 – c. 1066), mistress (or more danico wife) to King Harold II
Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – ca. 1176), mistress to Henry II
Alice Perrers (1348–1400), mistress to Edward III
Jane Shore (ca. 1445 – ca. 1527), mistress to Edward IV
Bessie Blount (ca. 1498/1500/1502–1539/1540), mistress to Henry VIII
Mary Boleyn (1499–1543), mistress to Henry VIII
Anne Boleyn (1500/1501–1536), mistress and later wife to Henry VIII
Isabel Osorio (1522–1589), mistress of Philip II of Spain, Portugal, England and Ireland

Royal mistresses in Scottish history[]

Margaret Erskine (1515–1572), mistress to James V

Royal mistresses in British history[]

Lucy Walter (ca. 1630–1658), mistress to Charles II
Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (1640–1709), 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 (1703–1744), mistress to George II^[1]
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 (1894-1983), mistress to Edward VIII
Lady Furness (1904–1970), mistress to Edward VIII
Wallis Simpson (1896–1986), mistress and later wife to Edward VIII
Camilla Parker Bowles (b. 1947), mistress and later wife to Charles, Prince of Wales

Royal mistresses in European history[]

Belgium[]

Arcadie Meyer (Belgium)
Caroline Bauer (1807–1877) (Belgium), mistress to Leopold I
Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps (b. 1941) (Belgium), mistress to Albert II
Caroline Lacroix (1883–1948) (Belgium), mistress to Leopold II

France[]

Agnès Sorel (1422–1450) (France), mistress to Charles VII
Diane de Poitiers (1500–1566) (France), mistress to Henry II
Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan (1640–1707) (France), mistress to Louis XIV
Louise de La Vallière (1644–1710) (France), mistress to Louis XIV
Isabelle de Ludres (1647–1726) (France), mistress to Louis XIV
Marie Angélique de Scorailles (1661–1681) (France), mistress to Louis XIV
Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764) (France), mistress to Louis XV
Marie, Countess Walewski (1786–1817) (France), mistress to Napoleon I

Russia[]

Anna Mons (1672–1714) (Russia), mistress to Peter the Great
Marta Helena Skowrońska (1684–1727) (Russia), mistress and later wife to Peter the Great
Anna Lopukhina (1777–1805) (Russia), mistress to Paul I of Russia
Maria Naryshkina (1779–1854) (Russia), mistress to Alexander I of Russia
Catherine Dolgorukova (1847–1922) (Russia), mistress and later wife to Alexander II of Russia

Spain[]

Bárbara Rey née María García (b. 1950) (Spain)
Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn née Larsen (b. 1964) (Spain – Juan Carlos I)

Sweden[]

Hedvig Taube (1714-1744) (Sweden), mistress to Frederick I of Sweden

Austria[]

Katharina Schratt (Austria) (1853-1940), friend to Franz Joseph I
Mary Vetsera, Baroness (1871-1889), mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf (Austria)

Bavaria[]

Lola Montez (Bavaria)

Romania[]

Magda Lupescu (Romania) (1899-1977), mistress and later wife of Carol II of Romania

Portugal[]

Maria Peres de Enxara, mistress to Afonso III of Portugal (Portugal) (1210-1279)

Italy[]

Bianca Cappello (Italy) (1548-1587), mistress and then second wife of Francesco I de' Medici
Rosa Vercellana (Italy) (1833-1885), mistress and then second wife of Victor Emmanuel II

Denmark[]

Sophie Amalie Moth (1654-1719) (Denmark), officially acknowledged royal mistress of King Christian V of Denmark

Bohemia[]

Agnes of Kuenring (ca. 1236 - fl. 1261) (Bohemia), mistress to Ottokar II of Bohemia

Netherlands[]

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)
Émilie Ambre (Netherlands and Luxembourg)
Juliane Karoline Philippine Baronnesse von der Goltz (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg)

References[]

^ "Mary Scott". Oxford dictionary of national biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 5 May 2010.

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.