Charles II's Illegitimate Children: Royal Bastards

Charles II had at least twelve illegitimate children, including James Croft, Duke of Monmouth, and Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St Albans. Other children included Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond, and Charles Fitzcharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth. The book will bring to life the king's many illegitimate children and tell their stories.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 30 July 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Charles II was a monarch who had a significant number of illegitimate children. While his queen, Catherine of Braganza, experienced multiple pregnancies, none of them resulted in full-term births. The king, renowned for his numerous mistresses, had his first acknowledged child out of wedlock in 1649. This child was named James Croft and later became Duke of Monmouth, playing a pivotal role in an infamous rebellion. However, not all of Charles II's children achieved such notoriety. Some, like Nell Gywn's son, Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St Albans, participated in the siege of Belgrade in 1688. Charles Lennox, the son of a French mistress, Louise de Keroualle, Duke of Richmond, was an early patron of cricket. Catherine Pegge's son, Charles Fitzcharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth, served as a colonel in the King's Own Royal Regiment and tragically lost his life in Tangier. Additionally, Charles had children with Barbara Villiers, Lady Castlemaine, who later became Duchess of Cleveland. These children included Anne, who had an affair with one of her father's mistresses, Charles, who succeeded to the dukedom of Cleveland, Henry, who became vice-admiral of England, George, who worked in the secret service in Venice, Barbara, who gave birth to illegitimate twins and became a nun in France, and Charlotte, who became Countess of Lichfield and had eighteen children. Furthermore, there are stories and rumors surrounding other children of Charles II, such as James de la Cloche and Charlotte Boyle, whose births and lives remain shrouded in mystery and speculation. This book aims to shed light on the king's numerous illegitimate children and present their stories in vivid detail.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399000949