The Crazy True Stories Of History's Most Infamous Courtesans

"Pretty, witty, Nell" got her start as an orange seller at the Drury Lane Theatre in the 1660s. Although illiterate, Nell Gwynn had a winning personality — warm, witting, and charming — which caught the attention of the theatre's lead actor, Charles Hart. According to Britannica, Nell became Hart's mistress, and that position gave her a chance at acting. Before long, Nell was the company's leading actress and best-loved comedienne. Her popularity in the company attracted the interests of the upper-class, and Nell became the mistress of Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, before capturing the attention of King Charles II himself. Nell wasn't Charles II's only mistress — he had several of them — however, Nell was supposedly the least greedy. She was content with a beautiful new house, a yearly pension, and a title for one of her sons with Charles.

With her lovely new residence, she regularly entertained the king and his friends and lived lavishly. Overall, Nell was loved by the public and courtiers alike. One infamous story had Nell's coach attacked by a mob that mistook her for Charles's hated Catholic mistress, the Duchess of Portsmouth. Nell leaned out the window and yelled, "Be civil—I am the Protestant wh*re!"

However, Nell's high-living resulted in deep debt. Knowing this, Charles II begged his brother on his deathbed to "Let not poor Nelly starve!" Charles's son, James II, ultimately paid off Nell's debts and granted her a pension until her death.