Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours
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The royal European courts were unsurpassed for their glamour, wealth, fame, danger, treachery, and politics. The royal mistress was at the center of that world — admired for her beauty and sensuality; feared for the power she wielded; even vilified, envied, and resented. In times when women had very little power, the royal mistress had enormous influence, and yet she is seldom mentioned in official histories.In Cupid and the King, Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent recounts the stories of five very different women, each of whom became a celebrated — or notorious — courtesan:Nell Gwyn, the bawdy, vivacious orange seller turned actress who endeared herself to Charles II — and the country — with her wit and down-to-earth mannerMadame de Pompadour, the extravagant, elegant maitresse-en-titre of Louis XV who became one of the great patrons of her time while enraging the people of FranceMarie Walewska, who became Napoleon's mistress to save her countryLola Montez, the flamboyant, scandalous Irish beauty who reinvented herself as a Spanish aristocrat to win the heart of Ludwig I of BavariaLillie Langtry, the legendary beauty immortalized by the most famous artists of her day and the only woman to completely monopolize Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VII Written with an insider's keen understanding of court life and filled with delicious details born of impeccable research, Cupid and the King explores a little-known chapter of the history of women's roles in the royal bedrooms of Europe. Publishers Weekly A book celebrating four centuries of high-stakes adultery might seem unlikely for intelligent reading. Princess Michael (The Serpent and the Moon), however, creates an appealing melange of history, gossip and scandal in her portraits of five of Europe's most celebrated royal mistresses. In the 19th century, Lola Montez, mistress to Ludwig I of Bavaria, was a gorgeous, intelligent, compulsive liar. Renowned for her vicious tantrums, she incited civil unrest that led to her banishment. The more principled 20-year-old Marie Walewska had to be coaxed by family-including her 72-year-old husband-to become Napoleon Bonaparte's mistress for the sake of Poland. Other profiles include Madame Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress; Nell Gwyn, an actress of humble origins who bore Charles II of England two sons; and Lillie Langtry, mistress of Prince Edward (later King Edward VII). While Princess Michael abundantly describes the women's physical beauty, she (like Eleanor Herman in the recent Sex with Kings) makes clear that their other attributes and talents sustained their royal relationships. The author's focus on the political impact of the women as much as on their lives makes this the perfect read for those who prefer substance with their mind candy. 24 pages of b&w illus., map not seen by PW. Agent, Suzanne Gluck. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
AcknowledgmentsvAuthor's NoteixIntroductionxiiiFamily Treexxx1Nell Gwyn12La Marquise de Pompadour503Marie Walewska1564Lola Montez2435Lillie Langtry297Bibliography355Index363List of Illustrations375
