Novels about Historical Royal Mistresses
BIBLICAL
Bathsheba, mistress and later wife of King David
Jill Eileen Smith, Bathsheba
TWELFTH CENTURY
Nest of Deheubarth (Welsh princess), mistress to Henry II of England
Anne Bell, Daughter of the Dragon
Review by Sarah Johnson (Reading the Past)
Eleanor Fairburn, The Golden Hive
Review by Sarah Johnson (Reading the Past)
Margaret Mackinlay, The Pawns of Kings
Margaret Orford, Royal Mistress
Princess Alais, mistress to Henry II of England
NB: Disputed Relationship: it is not certain whether or not Alais was Henry’s mistress.
Christy English, The Queen’s Pawn
Review by Allie (Hist-Fic Chick)
Judith Koll Healey’s Princess Alais mysteries:
- The Canterbury Papers
- The Rebel Princess
Ida de Tosney, mistress to Henry II of England
Elizabeth Chadwick, The Time of Singing/For the King’s Favor
Reviewed and certified Mary-Sue free by Miss Moppet
Review by Carla (Carla Nayland Historical Fiction)
Review by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Review by Katherine (A Girl Walks into a Bookstore)
FOURTEENTH CENTURY
Piers Gaveston, favourite of Edward II of England
Chris Hunt, Gaveston
Review by Alianore (Edward II)
Review by Misfit (Shelf of Shame)
Brandy Purdy, The Confession of Piers Gaveston
Eve Trevaskis, The Lord of Misrule
Review by Sarah Johnson (Reading the Past)
Review by Susan Higginbotham (Medieval Woman)
Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III of England
Vanora Bennett, The People’s Queen
Review by Cat (Tell Me A Story)
Review by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet)
Emma Campion, The King’s Mistress
Review by Cat (Tell Me A Story)
Review by Daphne (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Review by Katherine (A girl walks into a bookstore)
Review by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet)
Katherine Swynford, mistress to John of Gaunt
Judy Perry’s blog on Katherine Swynford
Anya Seton, Katherine
Review by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Review by Katherine (A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore)
Review by Robinbird (The Lady Gwyn’s Kingdom)
Mariota de Athyn, mistress of Alexander Stewart, son of Robert II of Scotland (the Wolf of Badenoch)
Charles Mackie, Mariota
FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Agnes Sorel, mistress to Charles VII of France
Noel de Vic Beamish, The Sword of Love
Janice Law, All the King’s Ladies
Elizabeth “Jane” Shore, mistress to Edward IV of England
Philip Lindsay, The Merry Mistress
Post by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books) about a cover for The Merry Mistress
Jean Plaidy, The Goldsmith’s Wife/The King’s Mistress
Review by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Post by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Book Covers) on a cover for The Goldsmith’s Wife
Arthur R.G. Solmssen, The Wife of Shore
Unknown mistress to Richard Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III
Vanora Bennett, Figures in Silk (also features Jane Shore)
Review by Katherine (A Girl Walks Into A Bookstore)
Anne Easter Smith, A Rose for the Crown
Review by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Review by Marg and Kailana (Historical Tapestry)
SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Bessie Blount, mistress to Henry VIII of England
Diane Haeger, The Queen’s Rival
Mary Boleyn, mistress to Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England
NB: Disputed Relationship. Mary Boleyn is not portrayed as Francis’s mistress in The Other Boleyn Girl and Philippa Gregory at least thinks there is not enough evidence to prove a relationship.
Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl
Alex (Le Canapé) re-reads The Other Boleyn Girl
Review by Katherine (A Girl Walks Into A Bookstore)
Review by The Literary Omnivore
Review by Naida (The Bookworm)
Review by Robinbird (The Lady Gwyn’s Kingdom)
Karen Harper, The Last Boleyn
Review by Robinbird (The Lady Gwyn’s Kingdom)
Aileen Quigley, Court Cadenza, republished as The Tudor Sisters by Aileen Armitage
Judith Saxton, Feather Light, Diamond Bright
Diane de Poitiers, mistress to Henry II of France
Diane Haeger, Courtesan
Review by Tanzanite (Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books)
Madge Shelton, mistress to Henry VIII
NB: Disputed relationship. Henry VIII was rumoured to have taken one of Anne Boleyn’s Shelton first cousins as a mistress between February and August 1535, while Anne was pregnant. If true, there remains some confusion over whether Madge or her sister Mary was the lady in question. For more details see The Tudors Wiki page on Henry VIII’s mistresses.
Anne Clinard Barnhill, At The Mercy of the Queen
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Olympe Mancini, mistress to Louis XIV of France
Alison Farely, Tempestuous Countess
Louise de La Valliere, mistress to Louis XIV of France
Sandra Gulland, Mistress of the Sun
Review by Carey (The Tome Traveller)
Review by Julianne Douglas (Writing the Renaissance) and interview with Sandra Gulland
Review by Lizzy (Historically Obsessed)
Athenais de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV of France
Catherine Decours, Aimée du Roi
Review (in French) by Woland (Les manuscrits ne brûlent pas)
Francoise de Maintenon, mistress to Louis XIV of France
NB: Disputed Relationship. Francoise de Maintenon was almost certainly married morganatically to Louis XIV (although no marriage certificate survives). She may or may not have been his mistress prior to that.
Alice Acland, The Secret Wife
Review by Sarah Johnson (Reading the Past)
Francoise Chandernagor, L’allee du roi/The King’s Way
Lucy Walters, mistress to Charles II of England
Elizabeth Goudge, Child from the Sea
Review by Misfit (At home with a good book and the cat…)
Jane Lane, who helped Charles II escape after the battle of Worcester
NB: Disputed Relationship: it has been speculated that Jane may have been Charles’s mistress but no proof of it survives
Gillian Bagwell, The September Queen/A Royal Exile
Review by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet)
Nell Gwyn, mistress to Charles II of England
Gillian Bagwell, The Darling Strumpet
Review by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet)
Gillian Bagwell’s blog on travel and research for The Darling Strumpet
Diane Haeger, The Perfect Royal Mistress: A Novel
Review by Lizzy (Historically Obsessed)
Betty King, Nell Gwyn
Priya Parmar, Exit the Actress
Review by Joanne (Books, Belles & Beaux)
Lozania Prole, The Fabulous Nell Gwynne
Lozania Prole, The Orange Girl
Lozania Prole, Pretty, Witty Nell
Lozania Prole, Sweet Nell
Susan Holloway Scott, The King’s Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II
Richard Sumner’s Nell Gwynn trilogy:
- Mistress of the Streets
- Mistress of the Boards
- Mistress of the King
Barbara Castlemaine, mistress to Charles II of England
Patricia Campbell Horton, Royal Mistress
Olivia Leigh, The Notorious Lady Castlemaine: The career of Barbara Villiers
Susan Holloway Scott, Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess of Castlemaine and King Charles II
Review by Alaine – Queen of Happy Endings (Royal Reviews)
Review by The Empress of Good and Evil (Royal Reviews)
Review by Luan Gaines for Curled up with a Good Book
Luan Gaines interviews Susan Holloway Scott about Royal Harlot for Curled up with a Good Book
Review by Heather (The Maiden’s Court)
Review by Joanne (Books, Belles & Beaux)
Frances Stewart, mistress to Charles II of England
Maeve Haran, The Painted Lady
Louise de Keroualle, mistress to Charles II of England
Anthony Capella, The Empress of Ice Cream
Review by Cat (Tell Me A Story)
Susan Holloway Scott, The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II
Review by Luan Gaines for Curled up with a Good Book
Katherine Sedley, mistress to James II of England
Susan Holloway Scott, The Countess and the King
Review by Joanne (Books, Belles & Beaux)
Margaret “Peggy” Hughes, mistress to Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Diana Norman, The Vizard Mask
Review by Misfit (At home with a good book and the cat…)
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Madame de Pompadour, mistress to Louis XV of France
NB: Madame de Pompadour was definitely Louis XV’s mistress. However, in 1750 she made the transition from mistress to best friend, confidante and political adviser.
Menie Gregoire, Le bien-aimé: Memoires apocryphes de Madame de Pompadour
Marie-Louise O’Murphy, mistress to Louis XV of France
Duncan Sprott, Our Lady of the Potatoes
Review by Melanie (Madame Guillotine)
Madame du Barry, mistress to Louis XV of France
Jean Plaidy, Madame du Barry
Certified Mary Sue-free by Miss Moppet
Review by Arleigh (historical-fiction.com)
Review (part one) by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet)
Review (part two) by Miss Moppet (The Misadventures of Moppet). Warning – major spoilers
Mary “Perdita” Robinson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, later George IV
Amanda Elyot, All for Love
Jean Plaidy, Perdita’s Prince
NINETEENTH CENTURY
Maria Fitzherbert, mistress to the Prince of Wales, later George IV
Michael Dyne, The Glitter and the Gold
Diane Haeger, The Secret Wife of King George IV
Jean Plaidy, Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill
Lozania Prole, A Queen for the Regent
Mary Anne Clarke, mistress to Frederick, Duke of York
Daphne du Maurier, Mary Anne
Dorothy Jordan, mistress to the Duke of Clarence, later William IV
Jean Plaidy, Goddess of the Green Room
Review by Arleigh (historical-fiction.com)
Review by Ms. Lucy (Enchanted by Josephine)
Ekaterina Dolgoruky, mistress to Tsar Alexander II
Princesse Bibesco, Katia
Mathilde Kschessinska, mistress to Tsar Alexander II
Adrienne Sharp, The True Memoirs of Little K.
TWENTIETH CENTURY
Lily Langtry, mistress to Edward VIII
James Brough, The Prince and the Lily
Wallis Simpson, later the Duchess of Windsor, mistress to Edward VIII
Anne Edwards, Wallis: The Novel
Elizabeth Luard, Emerald [about Wallis's fictional secret daughter by Edward VIII]
