Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
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Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (November 1640–9 October 1709) was one of the most notorious of King Charles II's mistresses.
She was born Barbara Villiers, the only child of William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison (making her a cousin of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham), and the heiress Mary Bayning. In autumn 1643 Lord Grandison died from a wound sustained in battle, leaving his widow and daughter in straightened circumstances.
Villiers was considered one of the most beautiful Royalist women, but her lack of fortune left her with reduced marriage prospects. Her first serious romance was with Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, but he was on the lookout for a rich wife. On 14 April 1659 she married Roger Palmer against his family's wishes; his father predicted that she would make him one of the most miserable men in the world. The two separated for good in 1662, following the birth of her first son. It is believed that Palmer did not father a single one of his wife's children.
She became King Charles's mistress in 1660, whilst he was still in exile. As a reward for her services, the King created her husband Baron of Limerick and Earl of Castlemaine in 1661. Of her six children, five were acknowledged by Charles as his:
- Lady Anne Palmer, later FitzRoy (1661-1722), most probably daughter of Charles II, although some people believed she bore a resemblance to the Earl of Chesterfield. She later became the Countess of Sussex
- Charles Palmer, later FitzRoy (1662-1730), styled Lord Limerick and later Earl of Southampton, created Duke of Southampton (1675), later 2nd Duke of Cleveland (1709)
- Henry FitzRoy (1663-1690), created Earl of Euston (1672) and Duke of Grafton (1709)
- Charlotte FitzRoy (1664-1718), later Countess of Lichfield
- George FitzRoy (1665-1716), created Earl of Northumberland (1674) and Duke of Northumberland (1683)
- Barbara (Benedicta) FitzRoy (1672-1737) - She was acknowledged as Charles' daughter, but was probably the child of John Churchill, later Duke of Marlborough
She had a bitter enemy in Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon. Clarendon, one of the most powerful of the King's advisors, opposed her appointment as a Lady of the Bedchamber (as did, quite understandably, Catherine of Braganza, Charles's wife and Queen). By 1662 she had more influence in the court than did the Queen. This was followed by rumours of an estrangement between Barbara and Charles, as the result of his infatuation with Frances Stuart. In December 1663 Barbara announced her conversion to Catholicism, possibly in an attempt to consolidate her position with the King.
The Duchess of Cleveland was famously extravagant. She was notorious for helping herself to money from the Privy Purse, as well as taking bribes from the Spanish and French. Her influence over the King waxed and waned. In June 1670 Charles created her Baroness Nonsuch, Countess of Southampton and Duchess of Cleveland. However, no-one in the court was sure whether this was an indication that she was being jettisoned by Charles, or whether this was a sign that she was even higher in his favours.
While the King had taken other mistresses, Barbara took other lovers, including the acrobat Jacob Hall and her second cousin John Churchill. Her lovers certainly benefited financially from the arrangement; Churchill purchased an annuity with £5,000 Barbara had given him. As the result of the 1673 Test Act, which essentially banned all Catholics from holding office, Barbara lost her position as Lady of the Bedchamber.
In 1676 she travelled to Paris with her four youngest children.
In 1705 Roger Palmer died, and she married Major-General Robert Feilding whom she later prosecuted for bigamy. She died in 1709 after suffering dropsy.
| Preceded by: New Creation | Duchess of Cleveland | Succeeded by: Charles Fitzroy |
Bibliography
- Elizabeth Hamilton. The Illustrious Lady : a biography of Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland (1980)
External links
- Portrait of Barbara Villiers (http://www.eustonhall.co.uk/Euston/images/pages/barbaravilliers.htm)
- Portrait of Barbara Villiers and Charles Fitzroy (http://www.historicalportraits.com/p_view.asp?ID=359F0CD7F5EF4989B0E54714E9063493)