Nell Gwyn

NAME Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Mistress of King Charles II, celebrated Restoration actress, and enduring symbol of wit, charm, and resilience.

BIRTH Nell Gwyn was born on February 2, 1650, though where exactly is still debated. Three cities lay claim to her: London, Hereford, and Oxford. A plaque in Gwynne Street, Hereford, proudly marks the spot, but most evidence points to Coal Yard Alley off Drury Lane in Covent Garden, London, as the likeliest birthplace.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Her father was Thomas Gwyn, described as a Captain in the Royalist army during the English Civil War who died in a debtors' prison at Oxford during Nell's infancy. Her mother was Ellen (Helena) Gwyn, also known as "Old Madam Gwyn" or "Madam Gwyn," who ran a brothel in Covent Garden. Nell had an elder sister named Rose. The family name "Gwyn" suggests Welsh origins.

CHILDHOOD Nell grew up in extreme poverty in London's Covent Garden district, raised in her mother's "bawdy house" (brothel). From an early age, she and her sister Rose helped in the family business, with Nell serving "strong waters" (brandy) to customers. She was brought up "to fill strong waters to the guests" according to Samuel Pepys. Her childhood was marked by hardship, and she never learned to read or write. This difficult upbringing contributed to her street-smart wit and resilience. (1)

EDUCATION Nell received no formal education and remained illiterate throughout her life, a fact she never hid. She signed her letters with a scrawled "E.G." as she was unable to write. However, she became renowned for her natural charm, conversational talents, and quick wit learned in London taverns and through her experiences. Her education came from life experience and the theatrical training she received from actors like Charles Hart.

CAREER RECORD  Around 1662-1663, Nell began as an "orange girl" at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, selling oranges and sweetmeats to theater audiences.

Around 1665 she made her stage debut around 1665 at age 15 as Cydaria in John Dryden's The Indian Emperor. 

1666 to 1669, she was the leading comedienne of the King's Company. Notable roles included Florimel in Dryden's "Secret Love" and other parts specifically written for her by Dryden. 

1670 She retired from the stage around 1670 to focus on her relationship with King Charles II.

APPEARANCE Nell was petite and shapely with a pretty heart-shaped face, hazel (or green) eyes, and curly chestnut (red-gold) hair. She was considered an attractive woman, though her appeal was often noted to be more a product of her vivacious personality than her conventional beauty. Her Celtic features supported possible Welsh ancestry.

Nell Gwyn: Portrait by Simon Pietersz Verelst

FASHION Her style as an actress was lively and suggestive. She wore breeches parts with panache, delighting audiences who were scandalised and amused in equal measure.

As a royal mistress, she was able to wear the finest fashions of the Restoration era. Portraits of her often show her in rich, luxurious gowns. However, she was known to have a playful disdain for the rigid fashion of court and famously mocked the elaborate French fashions worn by her rival, Louise de Kéroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth.

CHARACTER Nell Gwyn wasplain-speaking, funny, cheeky, generous, and possessed a strong wit. She was known for her frank recklessness, invariable good temper, ready wit, infectious high spirits, and amazing indiscretions. 

Unlike other royal mistresses, she was not demanding or greedy and never forgot her humble origins. She was generous to the poor and maintained friendships with her less fortunate theater colleagues. Even her critics admitted she had remarkable charm.

SPEAKING VOICE  Nell possessed a strong, clear voice that served her well as an actress. 

Her voice was noted for its distinct Cockney accent and commoner’s slang, which was a source of both amusement and affection for the public. It stood in sharp contrast to the refined, aristocratic tones of her rivals.

Her Cockney wit and ready tongue made her an excellent speaker of "impudent prologues and epilogues" on stage. (1)

SENSE OF HUMOUR Nell Gwyn was famous for her legendary wit and humor. She nicknamed her royal lover's other mistresses, calling Louise de Kéroualle "Squintabella" for her looks and "The Weeping Willow" for her tendency to cry. When mistaken for the Catholic Louise by an angry mob, she famously declared, "Good people, you are mistaken; I am the Protestant whore!". She told Charles II he was "Charles the Third" to her, having had two other Charleses before him.

RELATIONSHIPS Nell had several significant relationships. Her first affair was with actor Charles Hart (whom she called "Charles the First"), who trained her for acting. She then became involved with Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset ("Charles the Second").

Her most famous relationship was with King Charles II. While walking in St James’ Park in 1668, King Charles II first noticed Nell Gwyn and was instantly captivated. By then a single mother, Nell soon became the king’s mistress, a relationship that stirred endless court gossip. Unlike many of Charles’s other liaisons, theirs was marked by warmth and genuine affection, and Nell’s quick wit kept her popular with the public. She famously nicknamed the king “Charles the Third,” having already been linked with Charles Hart and Charles Sackville. 

With Charles II, she bore two sons: Charles Beauclerk (1670), later created Duke of St Albans—thanks, it was said, to Nell threatening to dangle him out of a window if the king did not grant him a title—and James Beauclerk (1671), who died young. 

Charles and James Beauclerk, the two sons of Charles II and Nell Gwyn, in a 1679 engraving.

Nell and Charles' bond endured until the king’s death in 1685, when one of his final requests was the touching plea: “Let not poor Nelly starve.”

MONEY AND FAME Nell Gwyn's fame as an actress was considerable, but her relationship with the king brought her immense wealth and notoriety.

Nell received generous financial support from Charles II, including annual pensions, occasional monetary gifts, a house at 79 Pall Mall in London, Burford House at Windsor, and the 3,723-acre Bestwood Park estate in Nottinghamshire in 1681. 

Despite her substantial gifts and income from King Charles II, Nell Gwyn struggled with debt because of her lavish spending and her generous, charitable nature. She made extravagant purchases, claimed expenses for many comforts, and lived in a way that her spending often outstripped her resources—especially after the king’s death when creditors became more aggressive. Contemporary accounts and later biographies confirm that James II paid off many of Nell's debts after Charles II’s death, honoring the late king’s request that she not be left destitute.

Nell Gwyn was widely recognized for her charitable acts. She gave generously to friends, supported fellow actors, and left money in her will to charity, particularly to secure the release of poor debtors—reportedly mindful of her own father's fate of dying in prison.

It is also widely believed—though debated among historians—that Nell Gwyn was an advocate for the founding of the Royal Hospital Chelsea for veterans. While there is no definitive contemporary documentary proof she directly persuaded Charles II to build it, the tradition remains strong that she played a moral or personal influence on the king's decision,

She had a substantial fortune by her death, including nearly 15,000 ounces of silver plate and a four-figure bank balance. 

FOOD AND DRINK Nell Gwyn was raised in an environment where she served "strong waters" (brandy) to brothel customers. Her mother's death by drowning in a pond while intoxicated with brandy is a well-documented event.

Nell Gwyn was an orange seller at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in her early teens. Hired by Mary Meggs ("Orange Moll"), Nell and her sister Rose sold oranges, lemons, and sweetmeats to the audience, while also acting as go-betweens for messages between audience members and actresses. 

Image by Perplexity

As a royal mistress, she would have enjoyed the finest foods and wines available to the court.

ACTING CAREER Nell Gwyn’s acting career was as improbable as it was dazzling. She arrived on stage in her mid-teens, around 1664, just as women were first being allowed to act professionally—something that seemed so radical at the time it was practically indecent. Nell, however, took to it with the breezy confidence of someone born for a spotlight. She quickly made herself indispensable to the King’s Company at Drury Lane, specialising in lively, flirtatious heroines who seemed only half a step removed from her own irrepressible personality.

She often performed alongside Charles Hart, with whom she created what became known as the “gay couple” act—a kind of Restoration-era rom-com pairing that audiences couldn’t get enough of. Playwrights, particularly John Dryden, began writing parts tailored to her strengths: comic timing, singing, dancing, and an ability to toss off witty lines with the ease of someone ordering a pint. Samuel Pepys himself joined the fan club, calling her “pretty, witty Nell,” a label that stuck for the rest of her life.

Though her stage career lasted barely five years, it was enough to make her one of the Restoration’s brightest stars and, crucially, to show that acting could be a profession for women rather than just a scandalous sideline. That she went on to become mistress to the King was almost incidental; the public loved her long before she ever set eyes on Charles II.

MUSIC AND ARTS Nell Gwyn was an accomplished singer and dancer, skills that contributed to her success on stage. 

She was painted by leading artists including Peter Lely and Simon Verelst and was depicted as Venus in one notable painting with her son as Cupid. 

LITERATURE Though illiterate herself, Nell Gwyn was closely associated with literary figures, particularly playwright John Dryden, who wrote specific roles for her talents. 

She was the subject of many poems, ballads, and pamphlets during her lifetime, which both celebrated and satirized her. The diarist Samuel Pepys frequently mentioned her in his famous diary. Her life has been the subject of numerous biographies, novels, and stage plays since her death.

NATURE Nell Gwyn enjoyed outdoor activities, particularly at royal hunting estates like Bestwood Park and Newmarket. She and Charles II would swim in the Fleet River on summer mornings. At Bestwood Park, she famously rode around the estate's boundaries before breakfast to secure the land grant.

PETS A statue of Nell Gwyn above the main entrance of Nell Gwynn House in London depicts her with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a breed named after her royal lover. This reflects her association with the king and his beloved dogs.

Nell Gwyn statue Photograph by: London Remembers

HOBBIES AND SPORTS  Nell Gwyn enjoyed gambling, particularly card games like basset where she reportedly lost significant sums. 

She loved horse racing and frequently attended races at Newmarket with Charles II. 

She also enjoyed fishing and taught the king how to fish at their country retreats.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Born into a Protestant country and a Catholic king's court, Nell Gwyn was known as the "Protestant whore" and a staunch supporter of the Church of England. She was a rival to the Catholic Duchess of Portsmouth, and their religious differences were often a topic of public discussion. Her faith was reportedly sincere, and she received comfort from a Protestant clergyman on her deathbed.

Despite her bawdy reputation, Nell’s burial sermon focused on repentance and forgiveness. Archbishop Tenison chose Luke 15:7: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (2)

POLITICS  Though not a direct political figure, Nell Gwyn had a significant influence on the king and was a public symbol of the Protestant cause against the Catholic influence of her rivals. Her popularity with the common people gave her a form of political capital that other mistresses lacked and helped humanize the monarchy during the Restoration period.

SCANDAL Nell Gwyn's life was one long scandal by the standards of the day. Her rise from a commoner and orange-girl to a royal mistress was a source of constant fascination and gossip. Her unashamed life as a courtesan was a public spectacle, but her wit and loyalty to the king helped to distinguish her from other court scandals.

MILITARY RECORD Her father Thomas Gwyn served as a Captain in Prince Rupert's Horse during the English Civil War. Her charitable work supporting old soldiers and her alleged role in inspiring Chelsea Hospital's founding connected her to military causes.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Nell Gwyn's health declined in her later years. She suffered from a series of strokes and partial paralysis in 1687, which may have been caused by syphilis and spent her final months bedridden in her Pall Mall home. Nell passed away at the early age of 37

HOMES When Nell Gwyn was an actress, she resided in modest lodgings near the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as she quickly rose from being an orange seller to a leading comic actress there in the 1660s. 

Nell Gwyn's Lodging, Drury Lane, February 1881 by Philip Norman

After she became the king's mistress, Nell moved to grander residences provided by Charles II. Her main residences included 79 Pall Mall in London (given to her by Charles II in 1671), Burford House in Windsor, and Bestwood Park in Nottinghamshire. She may have had other properties including a house in Newmarket built by Christopher Wren. Her Pall Mall residence is marked by a Blue Plaque today.

TRAVEL Nell Gwyn traveled between her various residences and accompanied Charles II to royal locations including Newmarket for horse racing, Windsor Castle, and other royal retreats. Her travels were primarily within England, centered around London and the king's various properties.

DEATH Nell Gwyn died of apoplexy on November 14, 1687, at 10 PM in her Pall Mall house in London. She was 37 years old. Before her death, she revised her will to leave generous bequests to servants and the poor. She died less than three years after Charles II's death in 1685. 

Dr. Thomas Tenison, later Archbishop of Canterbury, preached her funeral sermon on November 17. She was buried at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Nell Gwyn's life has been extensively portrayed in literature, theater, and film. Notable works include plays such as Good King Charles's Golden Days by George Bernard Shaw and Jessica Swale's 2016 play Nell Gwynn, which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Films like Mistress Nell (1915) starring Mary Pickford, Nell Gwyn (1934) starring Anna Neagle and Stage Beauty (2004). Modern biographical novels include works by Susan Holloway Scott, Priya Parmar, and Gillian Bagwell. 

ACHIEVEMENTS Became one of the first professional actresses in England.

Achieved immense popularity and fame as a comedic stage performer.

Maintained a unique, beloved relationship with King Charles II.

Secured titles and financial security for her two sons by the King.

Left a lasting legacy as a cultural icon of the Restoration era, celebrated for her wit, charm, and rags-to-riches story.

Sources: (1) Encyclopedia Britannica (2) Encyclopaedia of Trivia