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Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine (née Barbara Villiers / ˈ v ɪ l ər z / VIL-ərz; 27 November [O.S. 17 November] 1640 – 9 October 1709), was an English royal mistress of the Villiers family and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five ...
See 35 portraits of Barbara Palmer, the favourite mistress of Charles II and a dominant figure at court and in politics. Learn about her life, family, influence and legacy as a sitter and a subject of art.
Although the Duchess of Cleveland insisted that the child was his, the king and most others believed her not to be his daughter, partly because he now rarely visited Cleveland, but also because it was well known that she had been conducting an affair with John Churchill for a year.
Nov 27, 2023 · Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland. George Villiers wasn’t the only Villiers member to have a close relationship with King Charles II. As the only child of the 1st Duke of Buckingham’s half-nephew, Barbara Palmer was perhaps the most prominent mistress of the ruling monarch.
Learn about the life and scandals of Barbara Palmer, the mistress of Charles II and mother of his illegitimate children. Find out how she rose from poverty to become a powerful courtier and a duchess.
Jun 28, 2024 · Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland was born as Barbara Villiers in Westminster, London, England on November 27, 1640. She was the only child of William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison and Mary Bayning.
Apr 13, 2024 · Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (27 November [O.S. 17 November] 1640 – 9 October 1709) was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of whom he acknowledged and subsequently ennobled.
