A plucky little girl, raised in the slums of London would rise to become one of England's most prominent women as the mistress of lusty Charles II during the Restoration.
Nell’s Childhood
Nell Gwyn was born on February 2, 1650 somewhere in Hereford. Her father, Captain Thomas Gwyn, thought to be from a wealthy Welsh family, married Eleanor Smith, of London, even thought she was beneath him in social standing. When Captain Gwyn was imprisoned for royalist sympathies during the English Civil War, Nell and her mother and older sister headed for London. Nell’s mother was an alcoholic, who moonlighted as a prostitute. She and her daughters lived in squalor in Drury Lane, one of the poorest sections of London. Nell earned money hawking oysters and fish.
Restoration of King Charles II
In 1660, when Nell was 10 years old, King Charles II returned to England, after years of living and fighting abroad. England rejoiced in the restoration of the Stuart monarch. Inns and tavern hung their old signs out, such as The Kings Head and The Crown, which had been forbidden during the years of Cromwell’s reign. Theaters opened up once more and people flocked to the newly built Kings House Theater, for some boisterous entertainment.
Nell Gwyn the Actress
Nell Gwyn, a cheeky lass with auburn curls, a creamy complexion and ready smile got a job as an orange girl, selling fruit to theater-goers. The reemergence of the theater in England brought some notable changes, including allowing women on stage. It wasn’t long before Nell, a natural comedian, caught the eye of playwright Charles Hart. Although she was illiterate (and never did learn to read) Nell was able to memorize her lines and became very good at ad-libbing. At the age of 15 she made her stage debut in The Indian Emperor and was soon one of the most popular actresses in London.
In 1665 plague broke out in London, shutting down the theaters. They reopened, only to be closed again by fire in 1666. Nell, out of work, needed money and protection. She became the mistress of Lord Buckhurst. He was not her first lover. She had become mistress to a sea captain at the age of 12 and it is suspected that she was the lover to Charles Hart as well.
Nell & Charles II
In 1668 Nell put on a special performance for Queen Catherine at Tunbridge Wells, a fashionable spa town. This is mostly likely when she began her relationship with Charles II. Most of Charles mistresses were of noble birth. Nell, lacking in social standing, etiquette and manners more than made up for them with her wit and humor.
While not all royal mistresses were liked by the public, Nell’s career greatly benefited from her liaison with Charles II. Soon Nell found herself in a lovely house in Pall Mall, expecting the king’s child. After the birth of her son, Nell returned briefly to the stage, though some say this was ploy to shame the king into giving her a larger allowance and title. Nell never received the same amount of compensation of Charles’ nobly born mistresses. Lady Castlemaine received approximately 43,000 and Louise de Keroualle received 40,000. In comparison, Nell received a paltry 4,000.
Eventually Charles commissioned a house for Nell by architect Christopher Wren. Nell made sure that her two sons received titles and estates. Charles successor, James II made sure that Nell received a pension for her “services to the state.” She died in 1687 at the age of 37, probably as a result of a venereal disease given to her by her royal lover.
Sources:
Herman, Eleanor, Sex with Kings New York: Harper Collins, 2004.
Kent, HRH Princess Michael. Cupid and the King. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
