Nell Gwyn: Celebrity Mistress of King Charles II

Nell Gwyn: Celebrity Mistress of King Charles II

How did a working class illiterate woman become King Charles II's favourite mistress?


Nell Gwyn was an incredibly talented comedy actor who came from a working class background, and was part of a group of pioneering women who were the first allowed to take to the stage to play women's roles.


Her personality was huge, audiences loved her ability to swear, and she was described as "the wildest creature to ever be seen at court." No wonder Charles loved her!


What was the wild world of 17th century Restoration Theatre like? How did she change comedy acting? What did the general public think of her?


Joining Kate to take us back to this world is Dr. David Taylor, Associate Professor of English at Oxford University.


You can also watch both Kate and David in the History Hit documentary, Sex and Scandal: Royal Favourites, for more about Nell's extraordinary life.


This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.


If you'd like to get in touch with the show you can contact us at betwixt@historyhit.com.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(401)

The Invention of Heterosexuality

The Invention of Heterosexuality

Sexuality is a funny thing. It's a social construct just as much as, say, virginity is.We use words like heterosexuality and homosexuality because they are convenient, more than because they're wholly...

8 Joulu 202340min

JFK Special 4. | How Jackie O Defined An Era

JFK Special 4. | How Jackie O Defined An Era

If the Kennedy's were America's first royal family, then Jackie was its queen.She was a style icon who, alongside her husband and president JFK, symbolised a fresh hopeful start in post-war America.An...

4 Joulu 202334min

AIDS Epidemic: Life & Death On The Frontline

AIDS Epidemic: Life & Death On The Frontline

How do we understand something as huge as a global epidemic?Similarly to Covid, the AIDS epidemic, which was most destructive in the 1980s and 90s, had such universal reach. Yet within that, there wer...

1 Joulu 202359min

JFK Special 3. | The Sex Life of JFK

JFK Special 3. | The Sex Life of JFK

“If I don’t have a woman for three days, I get terrible headaches.”That is what JFK allegedly told the UK prime minister, Harold MacMillan, after a meeting on nuclear arms. An interesting alternative ...

28 Marras 202340min

Section 28: The Anti-Gay Law That Sparked A Movement

Section 28: The Anti-Gay Law That Sparked A Movement

The 1980s have a lot to answer for - spandex, for one.It also saw the first new anti-gay law in Britain for over a century.Against the backdrop of the HIV epidemic, and increasing homophobia across th...

24 Marras 202338min

Napoleon's Sex Life

Napoleon's Sex Life

Napoleon Bonaparte has been described in many way throughout history. Conquerer. Lover. Legend. Shrivelled Eel?Perhaps you haven't heard the last description before, but that's how a journalist descri...

21 Marras 202344min

Ancient Goddesses of Sex and War

Ancient Goddesses of Sex and War

Sex and death are often intertwined: one is the start of creation, the other is the end.And as we’ll learn in today’s episode, ancient battlefields were the setting of intimate acts, too. One on one, ...

17 Marras 202332min

JFK Special 2. | The Kennedy Sister They Tried To Hide

JFK Special 2. | The Kennedy Sister They Tried To Hide

This November marks 60 years since President John F Kennedy was assassinated. His name is associated with history defining events, but it’s also connected with a dynasty, known for their celebrity and...

13 Marras 202344min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
konginkangas
rss-ikiuni
totuus-vai-salaliitto
tsunami
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rouva-diktaattori
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
historiaa-suomeksi
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rss-peter-peter
apinan-vuosi
rss-iltanuotiolla
rss-kalmakabinetti