The Outrageous Mistress of Charles II's Court | Nell Gwyn | Pretty, Witty Nell 

Absolutely agree! Considering the cards she was dealt, Nell used what she had to improve her situation.

Exactly@@HistorysForgottenPeople

And in reality that's all they had to use. No matter how moral or immoral it was. Survive is the key.

Right? Like being royal was the cure. 😂

I'm not certain it's completely true, but I REALLY want it to be! 😂

Despite what fairy tales say men seem drawn to and respect women who weren't the docile perfect lady but strong willed, clever and flirtatious.

She must have had an incredible memory. I can't even remember people's names half the time! 😂

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the video! 😊 I absolutely agree, my favourite thing about Nell is that she had no airs and graces about herself as her situation changed, and she never wanted to be anything but herself. I think it is also testament to her wit and charm that she didn't (in her early years) go into say, prostitution, but instead found the stage and knew she could win over the audience.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😊

I agree, she's definitely one of my favourites, too! It's hard not to like her, Nell seems to have continued being down-to-earth all her life, and never tried to be something she wasn't. The sticking point is of course, poor Catherine was stuck as the unwanted wife of Charles, and that wasn't the fault of either woman.

@@HistorysForgottenPeople yeah :') but Nell knew she was a low-born "Protestant Whore" and owned it- what else can be asked of a person lol?

@@HistorysForgottenPeople But Charles’s wife couldn’t have children (or so I read). I assume he did sleep (or did) with her at some time.

I saw that series, too, it had a great episode on Nell! One of the reasons Nell is a favourite historical person of mine is her humour - there's another anecdote about her that always makes me laugh. Apparently her coach driver was fighting another man who had called Nell a whore. She went over and broke up the fight by loudly saying, "I AM a whore. Find something else to fight about." I think she'd probably be a brilliant addition to the imaginary 'which 6 people in history would you have to a dinner party?'. 😂

@@HistorysForgottenPeople 🤣 LMAO

Aww, thank you, I'm glad you like it! ☺

I promise I definitely will - Louise is on the list for this series, actually! 😊 She's probably going to be the video for New Year's Eve.

@@HistorysForgottenPeople Awesome! Merry Christmas!

Same here, I think Nell was a very down-to-earth person, and she never lost that. I think she was aware that was probably one of the reasons Charles liked her so much - not only was she witty, attractive and sexy, but she was a refreshing change from the stiff formality of court and noble mistresses. I think Madame du Barry was very similar for Louis XV in that role of being someone 'normal'.

Maybe because Anne unlike her, was a virgin and didn't want to give it up and Charles wasn't deadly obsessed with Nell, making her life miserable in a case if she rejects him and follows her around, making her feel uncomfortable and trapped constantly. he could satisfy himself with any other woman or other of his mistresses

Aww, that's very kind of you to say so! Thank you very much. ☺ I'm definitely not AI!

I enjoy your narrations, as well, your human warmth comes through completely. I also greatly admire your ability to pronounce the words of different languages, they seem to trip easily off of your tongue and I wish I had the same ability.

I hope you enjoyed it! 😊

Hi Michelle, I'm well, I'm glad you are Benjamin are too! We've actually got snow here in the UK, so we've swapped around! I love the snow, so I'm happy about it.

Aww, that's very sweet of you, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. ☺

Okay, so starting with the worst: 1. Henry VIII (I think everyone who watches this channel now knows I really don't like him! 😂) 2. Edward VI - I honestly think he would have been a lot like his father, from the little known of his short reign. 3. Mary I - on a personal level, I feel a lot of sympathy for her, and I actually think deep down she was a likeable and kind person. But she was also a religious extremist, and you can't get away from the fact she killed hundreds of people in horrific ways because they would not conform to her way of thinking. 2. Henry VII - I don't think he was perfect, but I also don't think he went out of his way to cause problems, and he also helped the economic recovery of the country. 1. Elizabeth I is my favourite, even if it's cliché! I think again, like all the Tudors, she wasn't a completely likable person, and she definitely had a nasty streak. But I also think she recognised that killing off everyone she disagreed with would only make her a tyrant, and she wanted to be loved and respected in a way her father and sister hadn't. I also think her reign was without a doubt both the most successful and had the best legacy. She fought off the Spanish, helped the country recover economically, surrounded herself with a council of the best men for the job, rather than just those who would agree with her, and most importantly, put the needs of her country before her own desires, unlike her father. It absolutely ensured she had the best legacy - but then I think this also covered up a lot. Elizabeth was presented as a goddess, but in reality, she was a flawed human being, and it's taken a lot of historical unpicking of the propaganda around her to find the 'real' Elizabeth.

"SSH. I'm pretending not to look. Okay?"

@@HistorysForgottenPeople "ACT. NORMAL."

Oooh, good question! It's Oliver for me as well, although it's one of those close contests, haha. Oliver Cromwell I think started out with good intentions at the very start, but when he saw the opportunity to become a dictator, he took it. And the Scottish and especially the Irish campaigns were horrific in their treatment of ordinary people, and even if one takes the view that many of the specific events themselves were not actually carried out by Cromwell, he allowed it to happen. He was also a religious radical, and this of course led to many people who didn't follow his particular brand of Christianity being persecuted. I do admire his drive for wanting the best for England, and for bringing to the table the idea that a government who rule a country without a royal, but I'm afraid I don't have a high opinion of him, really.

@@HistorysForgottenPeople yeah, he was king in all but name, and, much like Edward II and his favourites' actions, nothung happened without his say so. I agree with you that he may have started off- emphasis on the word started, please- with good intentions, but that faded quickly, and his rule over England was tyrannical, and, most unforgivingly of all, boring for the common people- fr, imagine coming home after a day of work and not being able to enjoy a good cup o' ale or go to your go-to brothel lol

Agreed - he did express regret on his deathbed, but I expect that was little comfort for her.

I think there were a lot of facial features that were probably shared by having the same great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents, definitely! It's never close enough to be really icky relationships, but then if everyone in my social circle shared at least some relatives with me I'd probably look a bit further for a spouse, personally. 😂

@@HistorysForgottenPeople I had 3 step siblings from a small town in Kansas. We went to visit their mom's folks there. Half the people in the town eerily had the same features as my step siblings. I suppose England's upper classes were like their own small town. Lot's of cousins. Lol.

Yup, I mention it in the video. ☺

Eh a Protestant though not a fan of that. Sad that she has a stroke though my grandfather died from that very tough to have.