Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Notorious royal mistress of King Charles II of England.
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine (née Barbara Villiers; 27 November [O.S. She was the subject of many portraits, in particular by court painter Sir Peter Lely.
- field
- Royal mistress
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Mistress of King Charles II of England; mother of five of his acknowledged children; created Duchess of Cleveland in her own right
Lore & Background
Born Barbara Villiers in the parish of St Margaret's, Westminster, Middlesex, she was the only child of William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison, and Mary Bayning.
Reader's Guide
She participated in politics, combining with the future Cabal ministry to bring about the downfall of Lord Clarendon. Her legacy is that of a powerful, controversial figure at the Restoration court, whose children by the King were ennobled and whose life was extensively documented by diarists such as Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn.
Did You Know?
- Barbara Palmer was the first cousin of Elizabeth Villiers, presumed mistress of King William III.
- She was created Duchess of Cleveland in her own right with a special remainder allowing the title to pass to her eldest son despite his illegitimacy.
- She once rushed to assist an injured child after a scaffold fell at the theatre, the only court lady to do so.
More in Philanthropists And Socialites 1-23
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record