Nell Gwyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nell Gwyn
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Portrait by Simon Pietersz Verelst
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| Born |
Eleanor Gwyn
2 February 1650 Hereford or St Martin in the Fields, London (disputed; see Nell Gwyn § Notes), England
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| Died | 14 November 1687 (aged 37) Pall Mall, London, England
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| Other names |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Partner(s) | Charles II of England |
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Eleanor Gwyn (born February 2, 1650 – died November 14, 1687) was a famous person during the Restoration period in England. She was one of the first actresses on the English stage. People like Samuel Pepys praised her funny performances.
Nell Gwyn became well-known as a special friend of King Charles II of England. Pepys called her "pretty, witty Nell." Many people see her as a symbol of the fun and lively spirit of Restoration England. Her story is often compared to the "rags-to-royalty" tale of Cinderella. Nell Gwyn had two sons with King Charles: Charles Beauclerk (1670–1726) and James Beauclerk (1671–1680). Charles Beauclerk later became the Duke of St Albans.
Contents
Early Life and Background
We don't know all the details about Nell Gwyn's early life. One old record says she was born on February 2, 1650. Another source from 1838 suggests she was born around 1642. This difference in birth years means we see her achievements a bit differently.
Much of what we know about Nell comes from plays she was in, poems, pictures, diaries, and letters. Sometimes this information was based on rumors, so we need to be careful.
Her mother, Ellen, was likely born in St Martin in the Fields, London. She probably lived most of her life in the West End area. Most people believe Nell's mother came from a humble background. Nell's father, Thomas Guine, might have been a captain from Wales, but this is not certain. It's thought that her father was not around during her childhood.
Three cities claim to be Nell's birthplace: Hereford, London (especially Covent Garden), and Oxford. There isn't much strong proof for any of them. The name "Gwyn" is Welsh, which might support Hereford, as it's near Wales. London is also a good guess since her mother was born there and raised her children there.
During the time when the Cromwells ruled England, fun activities like theatre were banned. But when King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, he quickly brought back the theatre. He allowed two acting companies to form and made it legal for women to act professionally. In 1663, the King's Company opened a new theatre, which later became the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Becoming an Actress
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The new theatres were the first in England to have women performers. Before this, boys or men played women's roles. Nell Gwyn joined the actresses at Bridges Street when she was about 14 years old. Before that, she had worked as an orange-girl, selling oranges at the theatre.
Nell had a good look, a clear voice, and a lively personality. These qualities helped her get noticed by Thomas Killigrew, who ran the King's Company. But she still had to prove she was a good actress. This was hard because plays often ran for only a short time, and there were many new productions each season. Nell was said to be unable to read or write.
She learned acting at a school for young performers run by Killigrew and a famous actor named Charles Hart. She also learned dancing from another actor, John Lacy.
It's not clear exactly when Nell started acting professionally. She might have had small parts in 1664 or 1665. By 1665, she was becoming more well-known. Samuel Pepys first mentioned her in his diary on April 3, 1665, calling her "pretty, witty Nell." Her first recorded stage appearance was in March 1665, in John Dryden's play The Indian Emperour. She played Cydaria, and her real-life friend, Charles Hart, played Cortez.
However, Pepys wasn't always happy with her serious roles. Two years later, he said she performed the Emperor's daughter "most basely." Nell herself seemed to agree that serious drama wasn't her best fit.
Nell Gwyn became a star in the new style of plays called restoration comedy. In May 1665, she appeared with Charles Hart in All Mistaken, or the Mad Couple. This was the first of many times they played the "gay couple." This type of couple was witty and playful, often teasing each other. Theatre experts say that Nell Gwyn's talent made this type of role very popular.
The Great Plague of London closed the theatres from mid-1665 to late 1666. Nell and her mother spent some of this time in Oxford, where the King and his court had moved. When theatres reopened, Nell and Hart continued to play famous "gay couple" roles. Their biggest success was in Secret Love, or The Maiden Queen, a play by John Dryden, performed in March 1667.
Pepys loved her performance in The Maiden Queen, saying "It is impossible to have Florimel’s part... ever done better than it is by Nelly." The theatre managers agreed. After Nell left acting, they didn't perform The Maiden Queen for ten years because they felt it wouldn't be the same without her.
The Maiden Queen also featured "breeches roles," where actresses wore men's clothes. This was exciting for audiences, who liked to see the women in more fitted outfits. Sometimes, actresses would leave the stage to become special friends of important people. In 1667, Nell became friends with Charles Sackville, who was Lord Buckhurst at the time. Their friendship ended quickly, and Nell returned to acting by late August 1667.
Friendship with King Charles II
In late 1667, George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham tried to arrange a friendship between Nell Gwyn and King Charles II. He wanted Nell to become the King's main special friend, replacing Barbara Palmer. This plan didn't work out at first.
The close friendship between the King and Nell Gwyn is said to have started in April 1668. Nell was at a play when the King, who was in the next box, seemed more interested in talking to her than watching the show. Charles invited Nell and her friend to supper. The King and his brother realized they had no money, so Nell had to pay the bill! She jokingly said, "Od's fish! but this is the poorest company I ever was in!"
Nell had been friends with Charles Hart and Charles Sackville before. So, she playfully called the King "her Charles the Third." By mid-1668, her friendship with the King was well-known. She continued to act, and her new fame brought bigger crowds. However, as her connection to the King grew, her acting career slowed down.
King Charles II had many special friends throughout his life. He was married to Queen Catherine of Braganza, but she had little say over his friendships.
During Nell's first years with Charles, there wasn't much competition from other special friends. Nell gave birth to her first son, Charles, on May 8, 1670. This was the King's seventh son, born to different mothers.
A few months later, Louise de Kérouaille came to England from France. She became another special friend to King Charles. Louise and Nell were very different. Louise was a proud woman from a noble family, used to the fancy life at Versailles. Nell was lively and loved to play jokes. Nell nicknamed Louise "Squintabella" and the "Weeping Willow." They sometimes teased each other, but they also met for tea and card games. Nell loved to gamble at cards, especially a game called Basset.
Nell Gwyn returned to the stage in late 1670 for John Dryden's play The Conquest of Granada. This was likely her last play. Her acting career lasted seven years and ended when she was about 21.
In February 1671, Nell moved into a house at 79 Pall Mall. This property belonged to the Crown. Nell wanted to own the house, not just rent it. In 1676, she was given full ownership of the property. It stayed in her family until 1693.
Nell gave birth to her second son with the King, James, on December 25, 1671. He was sent to school in Paris when he was six and died there in 1681. We don't know much about his life in Paris or why he died.
On December 21, 1676, King Charles gave their son Charles the titles of Baron of Heddington and Earl of Burford. A few weeks later, James was given the title of Lord Beauclerc.
Soon after, the King gave Nell and their son a house called Burford House in Windsor. She lived there when the King was at Windsor Castle. Nell also had a summer home in London, where she would entertain King Charles with small concerts and breakfasts.
Just after Henry Jermyn died in 1684, King Charles gave his son Charles the title of Duke of St Albans. He also gave him money and important jobs.
King Charles II died on February 6, 1685. On his deathbed, he asked his brother, James II, "Let not poor Nelly starve." James II kept his promise. He paid most of Nell's debts and gave her a yearly payment of £1,500. He also paid off the loan on her house at Bestwood. James tried to convince Nell and her son to become Roman Catholic, but she did not.
Death and Legacy
In March 1687, Nell Gwyn had a stroke that left one side of her body unable to move. In May, a second stroke left her in bed at her Pall Mall house. She made her will on July 9. Nell Gwyn died from a stroke on November 14, 1687, less than three years after the King's death. She was 37 years old.
She was buried in the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on November 17, 1687. One of Nell's last wishes was for Thomas Tenison, who later became a very important church leader, to give a sermon at her funeral. Her will showed her kind side, as she left money to help the poor and to free people from prison.
Even though some people made fun of Nell Gwyn, John Dryden said her best quality was her natural wit. She was a great hostess and kept the friendship of many important people, including Dryden, the writer Aphra Behn, and the King's other special friends.
A story from 1752 (which might not be true) says that King Charles II once told Nell he didn't know how to please the English people. Nell supposedly replied, "Dismiss your ladies, may it please your Majesty, and mind your business; the People of England will soon be pleased." This shows her reputation for being direct and witty.
Statue
In 1937, a new building with many apartments in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, was named Nell Gwynn House. In a high spot above the main entrance, there is a statue of Nell Gwyn with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel at her feet. This is believed to be the only statue of a royal special friend in London.
Nell Gwyn in Books, Plays, and Movies
Nell Gwyn has been a main character in many plays, books, and films:
- 1799: The Peckham Frolic : or Nell Gwyn, a comedy by Edward Jerningham
- 1882: A Royal Amour, a novel by Richard Davey
- 1884: Nell Gwynne, an operetta by Robert Planquette
- 1900: Sweet Nell of Old Drury a play by Paul Kester
- 1900: Mistress Nell, a play by George Hazelton
- 1900: English Nell, a play by Edward Rose
- 1900: Nell Gwyn – Comedian, a novel by Frank Frankfort Moore
- 1924: Our Nell, a musical by Harold Fraser-Simson and Ivor Novello
- 1926: Mistress Nell Gwynne a novel by Marjorie Bowen
- 1928: Orlando: A Biography, a novel by Virginia Woolf, mentions Nell Gwyn.
- 1939: A character in Bernard Shaw's play In Good King Charles's Golden Days
- 1944: A character in Kathleen Winsor's novel Forever Amber
- 1975: Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord, part of Jean Plaidy's trilogy about Charles II.
- 1986: Mentioned in the song "Move Over Busker" by Paul McCartney.
- 1993: A character in Playhouse Creatures, a play by April De Angelis
- 2006: The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose, a children's novel by Mary Hooper where Nell is important.
- 2007: The Perfect Royal Mistress, a novel by Diane Haeger
- 2008: The King's Favorite a novel by Susan Holloway Scott
- 2009: Or, a play by Liz Duffy Adams where Nell is a main character.
- 2011: Exit the Actress, a novel by Priya Parmar.
- 2015–17: Nell Gwynn, a play by Jessica Swale
Nell Gwyn in Films and TV Shows
- 1911: Sweet Nell of Old Drury, played by Nellie Stewart
- 1915: Mistress Nell, played by Mary Pickford
- 1922: The Glorious Adventure, played by Lois Sturt
- 1926: Nell Gwyn, played by Dorothy Gish
- 1934: Love, Life and Laughter, played by Gracie Fields
- 1934: Nell Gwynn, played by Anna Neagle
- 1941: Hudson's Bay, played by Virginia Field
- 1949: Cardboard Cavalier, played by Margaret Lockwood
- 1969: The First Churchills (mini-series), played by Andrea Lawrence
- 1995: England, My England, played by Lucy Speed
- 2003: Charles II: The Power and The Passion (mini-series), played by Emma Pierson
- 2004: Stage Beauty, played by Zoe Tapper
See also
- English royal mistress
Images for kids
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Nell Gywnn House, Chelsea
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