The King's Bed

by Don Jordan

Overview

To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons were largely conducted in royal palaces surrounded by friends, courtiers and literally hundreds of servants and soldiers. Gossip radiated throughout the kingdom.Charles spent most of his wealth and his intellect on gaining and keeping the company of women, from the lowest sections of society such as the actress Nell Gwyn to the aristocratic Louise de Kérouaille. Some of Charles' women played their part in the affairs of state, coloring the way the nation was run.The authors take us inside Charles' palace, where we will meet court favorites, amusing confidants, advisors jockeying for political power, mistresses past and present as well as key figures in his inner circle such as his 'pimpmasters' and his personal pox doctor.The astonishing private life of Charles II reveals much about the man he was and why he lived and ruled as he did. The King's Bed tells the compelling story of a king ruled by his passion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681771113
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	03/15/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Don Jordan has twice won a Blue Ribbon Award at the New York Film and Television Festival and has written four books with Michael Walsh. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Preface to the American Edition 1

1 The Last Soirée 5

2 The Making of a Prince 13

3 Exile and First Love 28

4 The Fugitive 44

5 The Life of an Exiled King 57

6 Restoration 70

7 The Bride's Price 88

8 The Dissolute Court 107

9 Married Life 120

10 Illness, Plague and Fire 134

11 Rivalry and Betrayal 147

12 Entrances and Exits 158

13 Theatrical Rivals 174

14 A Secret Pact 195

15 The French Rival 206

16 A Spy in the Bed 219

17 A Sensational Encounter with the Past 235

18 Plots and Alarms 250

19 Death of the King 276

Postscript: The King's Descendants and their Legacy 291

Appendix: Some Aspects of Sex in the Seventeenth Century 303

List of Major Characters 309

Notes 315

Acknowledgements 329

Select Bibliography 331

Index 337

About the Authors 357

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2016
In this balanced narrative, Jordan and Walsh (White Cargo) contextualize the reign of Charles II (1630–1685) in light of his numerous mistresses, arguing that his aversion to conflict allowed them to influence policy, helped bankrupt the country, and nearly resulted in subjugation to France’s Louis XIV. The restoration of the “Merry Monarch” ushered in a frivolous, sex-saturated, court-led 17th-century sexual revolution that shocked many, but also reassured a country that was weary of religious stridency after the execution of the king’s Catholic father and Charles’s own exile during the Commonwealth. Solid research and wry observations neatly augment the chronological narrative, although the unflattering and simplistic description of actress Moll Davis suffers from too much reliance on one source (Samuel Pepys, an ardent admirer of her rival Barbara Palmer). Jordan and Walsh also struggle with miscarriage and stillbirth terminology in their discussion of the infertile queen, but excel in describing the king’s unusual willingness to claim and promote many of his illegitimate children. With the fully developed fleshing out of Charles and four of his primary mistresses, the authors provide authentic insight on how salacious sex and the pursuit of pleasure ruled a troubled king. Illus. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

An entertaining history of the antics of the libidinous King Charles II and his licentious court. Tells you everything you need to know about 17th-century sex.

Sebastian Shakespeare - Tatler

While showing that 'never again would an English royal court reverberate with such fun and vigor, so much youthful swagger and sexuality,' the book makes clear that Charles's sex addiction had its darker side.

The Mail on Sunday

In a tone of bravado in keeping with their concept of their subject's character, Don Jordan and Michael Walsh have written a swashbuckling life of Charles II. The authors have a keen eye for memorable anecdotes that consistently hold the reader's attention.

The Spectator

Don Jordan and Michael Walsh share an unerring nose for a good subject. These romps through Charles's bed-chamber are wonderfully lively. Narrating a libertine's life with a gusto tempered by sound common sense, they have produced a book that is as pleasantly addictive as might be suggested by its racy title.

Sunday Times (London)

02/01/2016
With this well-researched title, historians Jordan and Walsh (coauthors, White Cargo) delve masterfully into the life and lusts of King Charles II of England (1630–85). Having introduced readers to the obsessive nature of Charles II in The King's Revenge, the authors further explicate just how strong an influence passion and power had on the king, chronicling his life from birth to death. The title also provides readers with a glimpse into the lives of those that took advantage of this quality, from the quickly discarded Lucy Walter to the magnificently manipulative Louise de Kérouaille. Updating on Antonia Fraser's best-selling King Charles II, Jordan and Walsh combine current and contemporary sources to create a complex view of the king described by 17th-century writer John Evelyn as, "an excellent prince doubtless had he been less addicted to women." VERDICT While some readers may get lost in the plethora of details, those interested in royal history and scandals will delight in the stories and characters contained within these pages.—Katie McGaha, County of Los Angeles P.L.

Library Journal

2015-11-10
Jordan and Walsh (White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America, 2007, etc.) look deeper into England's "Merry Monarch" and his character—or lack thereof. The English civil war and his father's execution, in 1649, forced Charles II, his mother, and his siblings to flee England, and his years of exile at the amoral French court shaped him profoundly. Following his restoration, his only aims were revenge and pleasure. To build their narrative, the authors make excellent use of a great wealth of resources. Contemporary correspondence, particularly between Charles and his younger sister, gives the most honest picture of the man. In addition, diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn (who wrote about Charles II, "an excellent prince doubtless had he been less addicted to women") bring out everyday life at court. Charles was a genial, affable man, but he was also selfish, trivial, and hateful of anything that got in the way of his pleasure. He had little interest in statecraft, calling Parliament only to wring money to give to his mistresses, and he generally ignored his capable men of state. He showered his women with titles, properties, and even income that should have gone to the Exchequer. He had a few chief mistresses among his innumerable flings. The first, Barbara Palmer, bore him multiple children and ruled him with countless demands and frequent tirades. His truest "friend" was Nell Gwyn, the actress who made few demands and amused the king greatly. There was also Louise de Kérouaille, a beauty sent by Louis XIV as a spy to promote France's aim to conquer the Netherlands. Louis' enormous bribes effectively put Charles in his pocket, and while Charles swore none influenced his decisions, it seems he had better things to do anyway. The authors' easy, readable style makes this a solid biography of Charles II, full of sturdy history and enough salacious information to keep it interesting.

Kirkus Reviews