Nell Gwyn

When Nell Gwyn, an actress on the London stage, first became familiar with the king, she was no better than a prostitute. Yet from the moment Charles II summoned her, there was never any suggestion that she granted her sexual favours to anyone but him; unlike some of his other lovers, she was as loyal to him as the Queen. On his deathbed Charles prayed neither for his Church nor his people, but asked that "Nelly might not starve". Nell Gywn's name is one of those few familiar to us all, yet what can we really know of this sensuous woman - the sensation of restoration England - who captured the heart of the king? This biography sets Nell Gywn's life against the backdrop of London during the Restoration and the ups and downs of theatrical life in the 17th century. Drawing on letters and contemporary accounts, and with dramatic portayals of the main characters, Derek Parker's book provides us with a vivid insight into the character of a woman who rose from nothing to be loved by a king.