Nell Gwyn

Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne) was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England and has come to be considered a folk heroine, with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of Cinderella. She was the most famous Restoration actress and possessed a prodigious comic talent. Gwyn had two sons by King Charles: Charles Beauclerk (1670–1726); and James Beauclerk (1671–1680). The surname of her sons is pronounced 'Bo-Clare'. Charles was created Earl of Burford and later Duke of St. Albans.

Early life

The details of Nell's background are somewhat obscure. Her mother's name was Ellen (or a variant) and she was referred to by contemporaries as "Old Madam", "Madam Gwyn", and "Old Ma Gwyn". Madam Gwyn was born, according to a monumental inscription, in the parish of St Martin in the Fields, London, and is thought to have lived most of her life in the city. She is also believed, by most Gwyn biographers, to have been "low-born". Her descendant and biographer Charles Beauclerk calls this conjecture, based solely on what is known of her later life. Madam Gwyn is sometimes said to have had the maiden surname Smith. However, this appears to be derived from a pedigree by Anthony Wood that shows signs of confusion between different Gwyn families and it has not been firmly established.

Nell Gwyn (disambiguation)

Nell Gwyn (1650–1687) was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England.

Nell Gwyn may also refer to:

Nell Gwynn (1934 film)

Nell Gwynn is a 1934 British historical drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Cedric Hardwicke, Jeanne de Casalis, Miles Malleson and Moore Marriott. The film portrays the historical romance between Charles II of England and the actress Nell Gwynn. It was also released as Mistress Nell Gwyn.

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Nell Gwynne (operetta)

Nell Gwynne is a three-act comic opera composed by Robert Planquette, with a libretto by H. B. Farnie. The libretto is based on the play Rochester by William Thomas Moncrieff. The piece was a rare instance of an opera by a French composer being produced first in London. Farnie had written an earlier libretto on the same subject, with the same name, for composer Alfred Cellier, which was produced at the Prince's Theatre in Manchester in 1876.

The opera was first performed at the Avenue Theatre in London on 7 February 1884. It then transferred to the Comedy Theatre on 28 April 1884. The production starred Florence St. John, Arthur Roberts, Giulia Warwick and Lionel Brough. In America, it was first produced in June 1884 in St. Louis and in New York City at the Casino Theatre beginning on 8 November 1884.

It was later produced in Paris as La Princesse Colombine, with a libretto by E. André Ordonneau, at the Théâtre des Nouveautés, beginning on 7 December 1886, but it was not a success in France.

Nell Gwyn (1926 film)

Nell Gwyn is a 1926 British romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Dorothy Gish, Randle Ayrton and Juliette Compton. It was based on the 1926 novel Mistress Nell Gwyn by Marjorie Bowen and follows the life of Nell Gwynne the mistress of Charles II. Wilcox later made a second version of the film in 1934 Nell Gwynn which starred Anna Neagle.

Cast

References

Mistress Nell Gwyn

Mistress Nell Gwyn is the title of the New York edition of an historical novel by the British writer Marjorie Bowen. The book was also published in London with the title Nell Gwyn: A Decoration. The book was first published in 1926.

The story depicts the life of Nell Gwyn and her rise from an orange seller to the mistress of Charles II during the Seventeenth Century. Bowen states in the Preface that very little is known about Nell Gwyn and that what history and tradition do "tell us of Nell Gwyn has been told as a decorative romance, where no liberty has been taken with what we know or believe to be truth." Great affairs have been left out and details of the reign of Charles II are provided only as a background for the figure of the heroine.

Adaptations

The year of its publication, the novel was adapted for the silent film Nell Gwyn, a prestige production directed by Herbert Wilcox for which the Hollywood actress Dorothy Gish was brought over to Britain to play Gwyn.

The novel also provided inspiration for Nell Gwynn the 1934 sound remake of the film, also directed by Herbert Wilcox.