From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Arabella Churchill (royal mistress)
Mistress of James II of England and VII of Scotland
Mistress of James II of England and VII of Scotland
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Arabella Churchill |
| image | Arabella Churchill.jpg |
| birth_date | |
| death_date | |
| nationality | British |
| known_for | Mistress of James II and VII, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland |
| spouse | Charles Godfrey |
| partner | King James II and VII |
| children | Henrietta, Countess of Newcastle |
| James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick | |
| Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle | |
| Arabella FitzJames | |
| Francis Godfrey | |
| Charlotte, Viscountess Falmouth | |
| Elizabeth Dunch | |
| parents | Sir Winston Churchill |
| Elizabeth Drake |
the royal mistress
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle Arabella FitzJames Francis Godfrey Charlotte, Viscountess Falmouth Elizabeth Dunch Elizabeth Drake Arabella Churchill (23 February 1648 – 30 May 1730) was the mistress of King James II and VII, and the mother of four of his children (surnamed FitzJames, that is, "son of James").
Life
James, then Duke of York, began his adulterous affair with Arabella Churchill, around 1665, while he was still married to Anne Hyde. Churchill became the duchess's lady-in-waiting in that year, and gave birth to two children during Anne's lifetime.
She often displayed the quick wit and lively intelligence which bound James to her through ten years and four children.
On 1 June 1680 at the Church of Holy Trinity, Minories, London, she married Charles Godfrey and had three more children. They lived happily together for more than three decades. Godfrey died in 1714, at the age of 67. She survived him by 16 years, dying in 1730 aged 82.
Children
Children with James II of England
- Henrietta FitzJames, Countess of Newcastle, (1667 – 3 April 1730)
- James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick (1670–1734)
- Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1673–1702)
- Arabella FitzJames (1674 – 7 November 1704); became a nun
From her children Henrietta, Countess of Newcastle, and James, Duke of Berwick, she is an ancestor of the Earls Spencer and Diana, Princess of Wales as well as of the Dukes of Berwick, the later Dukes of Alba and of Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba, who at the time of her death was the person with the most noble titles in the world.
Children with Charles Godfrey
- Francis Godfrey
- Charlotte Godfrey, born before 1685, married Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth
- Elizabeth Godfrey, married Edmund Dunch, son of Hungerford Dunch
References
References
- Macaulay Macaulay, Baron Thomas Babington. (1898). "The history of England, from the accession of James II, Volume 1".
- Herman, Eleanor. (2004). "Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge". William Morrow, New York.
- London Metropolitan Archives, Holy Trinity Minories, Register of marriages, 1676 - 1683, P69/TRI2/A/007/MS09242A
- Herman, Eleanor. (2005). "Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge". William Morrow.
- Fea, Allan. (1908). "James II. and his wives". University of California Libraries.
- Herman, Eleanor. (2005). "Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge". William Morrow.
- {{cite DNB. Evelyn Shirley. Shuckburgh
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Arabella Churchill (royal mistress) — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report