Madame du Barry: Louis XV's Last Mistress
Madame du Barry, played by Johnny Depp in a 2023 film, rose from poverty to become the semi-official "chief mistress" of King Louis XV of France. Born as a prostitute, she later married into the aristocracy and became the monarch's favorite lover. However, her fortunes reversed during the French Revolution, and she was executed by guillotine for treason at age 50.
Nell Gwyn: From Orange Seller to Royal Favourite
Nell Gwyn, daughter of a brothel-keeper, started as an orange seller before becoming an actress and catching the eye of King Charles II. Described as "pretty and witty" by diarist Samuel Pepys, she was the most famous of his 13 mistresses and bore him two children. Charles ensured she had a pension upon his death in 1685, saying, "Let not poor Nelly starve." Charles had 12 children by his mistresses but no legitimate heirs.
George IV and His Secret Marriage
The Prince Regent, later George IV, juggled multiple mistresses alongside a disastrous marriage to Queen Caroline. He once attempted to illegally wed his favorite, the twice-married Catholic Maria Fitzherbert, whom he called his "wife of heart and soul." He was buried with a miniature of her in 1830. Another mistress, actress Mary Robinson, was paid off to keep his love letters secret.
Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson
Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, but before her, he had a history of affairs. One early mistress, Marguerite Alibert, later married Egyptian aristocrat Ali Kamel Fahmy Bey and shot him dead at the Savoy Hotel in 1923, but was acquitted. Edward also had relationships with socialites Freda Dudley Ward and Lady Furness.
Henry VIII and the Boleyn Sisters
Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn in 1533, but he had already bedded her older sister Mary, described as even more beautiful. Mary is believed to have also been a mistress of French king Francis I. One courtier cruelly called her "a hackney whom all could ride." Anne was executed later, and Henry went on to marry six wives.
Edward VII: The "Alley Cat" King
Edward VII, nicknamed "Edward the Caresser" and "Dirty Bertie," had a reputation for visiting brothels and had around 50 affairs. His mistresses included Lady Randolph Churchill (mother of Winston Churchill) and actress Lillie Langtry. His favorite was Alice Keppel, described by a historian as having "the morals of an alley cat." When Edward lay dying in 1910, his wife Alexandra allowed Alice to say goodbye. Alice's great-granddaughter is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Prince Charles, who was his mistress during his marriage to Princess Diana.
La Belle Otero: Serial Royal Mistress
Spanish actress and courtesan Carolina Otero, known as "La Belle Otero," was famous for her beauty and bosom, said to have inspired the cupolas of the Hotel Carlton in Cannes. She became the lover of Edward VII, Albert I of Monaco, and multiple Russian royals. Six men reportedly committed suicide after their affairs with her ended, and two more fought a duel over her.
