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Royal Bastards And Mistresses: The Shadow Courts Of Restoration England, John Bays

Student Honors Theses

Charles II returned to England in 1660 accompanied by a “natural son” from a mistress. And within a decade he had new mistresses and more natural or illegitimate children. This thesis attempts to look at the political and cultural roles of these royal mistresses and bastards at the Restoration court of Charles II. It also examines how Charles II used the mistresses and bastards and how some of them used the royal court to their own advantage. Rather than focusing on the personalities of this mistress or that son, however, this thesis focuses on their roles and functions in a …