Person    | Female  Born 2/2/1650  Died 14/11/1687

Nell Gwynne

Eleanor Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne, whatever. Born Hereford. Rumoured to have lived at Lauderdale House as the mistress of Charles II, where she dangled her first-born from a window to scare the King into giving the baby a title, which he duly did - the Earl of Burford. The affair with the king started in about 1668 and they must have remained on good terms since on his death in 1685 Charles apparently said "Let not poor Nelly starve".  Nell died in her Pall Mall house.

At the height of the anti-Catholic sentiment, with a king known to be friendly towards Catholics, Gwynn is said to have won popularity by contrasting herself with the king's other mistress, Louise De Keroualle, declaring "I am the Protestant whore".

Londonist have Nell's amazing story.

2022: We were contacted by Jennifer Craig telling us that in her family there is the belief that an ancestor, Charles  Gerrelli, who was born in Italy and died in Lambeth, was a stonemason/sculptor who came here to work for a Victoria and Albert exhibition (the 1851 Great Exhibition?) and produced a statue of Nell Gwynn that is in Highland (Highgate?) cemetery. Our genealogy consultant, Andrew Behan, has investigated this family and found a father, Charles, and two sons, Edward and Thomas, who, between them, sort of match the family story, with the occupations: moulder, plasterer, modeller & figure maker, being very interesting.  However we have found no link with the Great Exhibition, Highgate Cemetery or Nell Gwynne, which doesn't mean these links don't exist.

2024: An article in a newspaper on the Sloane Square fountain page explains why there are memorials to Nell Gwynne in the Chelsea area: Charles II founded the Royal Hospital and also laid out the King's Road; Nell was associated with him; and the memorial creators could see that she was prettier!

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Nell Gwynne

Commemorated ati

Nell Gwynne - Sloane Square

She's manipulating a fan but meanwhile, unnoticed by Nell, her dress has slip...

Read More

Nell Gwynne - SW1

In a house on this site lived Nell Gwynne 1671-1687.

Read More

Nell Gwynn statue

We have failed to garner any information on this statue and the relief panels...

Read More

Whitecross Debtors' Prison

Whitecross Debtors' Prison, 1813 - 1870 Warm-hearted Nell Gwynne, in her will...

Read More

Other Subjects

King Waldemar IV of Denmark

King Waldemar IV of Denmark

King. Also known as Valdemar IV Atterdag (A new dawn). He came to the Danish throne in 1340. From Medieval Histories:"In 1364, Valdemar IV of Denmark travelled through Europe to end up in Avignon....

Person, Royalty, Denmark

1 memorial
Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor

Not to be confused with Queen Mary Tudor, who was named after her. This lady was younger and favoured sister to Henry VIII. Born Sheen Palace. Aged 18 she was married off to the 52 year old King of...

Person, Royalty

1 memorial
Queen Eleanor of Castile

Queen Eleanor of Castile

Born to the King of Castile she was aged 13 when she married the future King of England, Edward I. It was a political, arranged marriage which seems to have been happy and successful as well, if 16...

Person, Royalty

2 memorials
Queen Eleanor’s Cross

Queen Eleanor’s Cross

The last of 12 Eleanor Crosses erected to celebrate Eleanor's last journey. Queen Eleanor of Castile died near Lincoln, with her husband, King Edward I, at her bedside, and was to be buried in Wes...

Building, Architecture, Royalty

2 memorials
Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. Niece of her predecessor, King William IV. Her first name was Alexandrin...

Person, Race Issues, Royalty, Seriously Famous

76 memorials

Previously viewed

Jacob Cardwell Young III

Jacob Cardwell Young III

Non-British, killed by the Bali bomb.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
James K. Polk

James K. Polk

USA President 1845 –1849.  Signed the documents formally integrating Texas into the United States on 29 December 1845.

Person, Politics & Administration, USA

0 memorials
Florence Keen - steel statue

Florence Keen - steel statue

N4, Station Place

There are two plaques on the blue bench behind the statues: Plaque 1: The characters for this Portrait Bench chosen by your community ce...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Newlon Housing Trust

Newlon Housing Trust

From the picture source website: "Newlon Housing Trust was established in 1967 when philanthropic members of the New London Synagogue decided to club together to buy properties that could be rented...

Group, Property, Social Welfare

2 memorials
Bronislaw Kubica

Bronislaw Kubica

Sculptor.  Polish. Active in 1974.

Person, Sculpture, Poland

1 memorial