Guest Post: Time Travelling to the court of Charles II by Susan Holloway Scott

Today we would like to welcome Susan Holloway Scott to Historical Tapestry. Susan is the author of several books set in the raucous and riotous (at times) court of Charles II.

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To celebrate the release of my new historical novel, The Countess & the King (available September 7), Marg suggested I do a bit of time travel, and imagine a weekend jaunt back to London in 1670, to the royal court of Charles II at Whitehall Palace.

Since I’m from Pennsylvania, which in 1674 is an English colony, I figure I’d be welcome enough. But Pennsylvania is still a primitive outpost of farmers and fur-traders and I’m woefully unstylish, so my first stop at the palace will be to visit the rooms of Louise de Keroualle. Louise is Charles’s current mistress (and the heroine of my last book, The French Mistress), a beautiful French lady known for her exquisite Parisian taste. If anyone can loan me suitable dress for court, then it would be Louise, who has a larger wardrobe than the queen herself and more jewels, too. We’re both tall, so I can borrow a gown without any alterations – though those tight-laced stays she favors will take a little getting used to. Oof!

Then it’s off to join the others already assembled in the Banqueting House, used for evening balls, masques, and gatherings. I’m presented to His Majesty, and I hope I make an acceptable curtsey. But Charles is more concerned with putting me at my ease, and he’s every bit as charming as everyone says, and looks exactly like his portraits. He honors me by asking to dance, but politely I must refuse, since I haven’t the faintest idea of the steps to a sarabande. Instead he dances with Nell Gwyn (the heroine of The King’s Favorite), a former actress who is now another of the royal mistresses. Little Nell’s a much better dancer than I’d ever be, her tiny feet kicking high and auburn curls bouncing.

I’m searching the crowd for others I’d like to meet. Across the room I see Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland (heroine of Royal Harlot), and though she’s no longer in favor as Charles’s mistress, she’s still seductive, and flirting outrageously with three much younger gentlemen. There’s the fox-faced Duke of Buckingham in the corner, doubtless plotting more political mischief to try Charles’s patience, and there’s the handsome, witty Earl of Rochester, who has clearly already had far too much to drink. Trying hard to appear as if he belongs is that plump little man from the navy board, Samuel Pepys; perhaps I should tell him that the gossipy diary he’s carefully keeping in code will one day be deciphered and printed for all the world to read.

But at last I find Katherine Sedley, the heroine of The Countess & the King. Even in this crowd, she stands out, for she’s thin and angular and not conventionally beautiful like the other ladies. For a mere maid of honor, she’s expensively dressed – after all, she’s a wealthy heiress in her own right – but what impresses me more is how funny she is, her humor sharp and wry. She’s very outspoken about the other courtiers, and we laugh together at her devastating observations. But her dark eyes keep looking past me, searching for someone else. I glance over my shoulder, and there he is – James, the king’s younger brother, his gaze intent on Katherine. She opens her fan slowly, one blade at a time, and smiles at him in unspoken invitation. He’s not seeing any other lady in the room but her, and she understands exactly what he wants, and more, what he needs.

And yes, I can guess what will happen next….

Katherine Sedley

James II

Here’s a link to an excerpt from The Countess and the King on my website (susanhollowayscott.com).

I hope you’ll also stop by my blog with fellow author Loretta Chase, where we discuss history, writing, and yes, even the occasional pair of great shoes: http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/

The Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table have been featuring The Countess and the King for the last few days so if you would like to hear more about Katherine Sedley and the court of Charles II, then you may like to visit the following links. There are also chances to win a copy of the book on these blogs as well.

Hist-FicChick: Two Merry Ladies: Katherine Sedley and Nell Gwyn,
Enchanted by Josephine: Dressing a Royal Bridegroom:
The Maiden's Court: The Fine Art of Poetical Slander:
Historically Obsessed: Introducing Katherine Sedley:
All Things Royal: Guest blog, 9/2, Two Brothers, Two Kings:

The French Mistress by Susan Holloway Scott

The acclaimed author of The King’s Favorite returns to the decadent court of King Charles II to follow the dazzling life of Louise de Keroualle, a shy maid of honor who would rise to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women of her time.

1668: The daughter of a poor nobleman, Louise leaves the French countryside for the glittering court of the legendary King Louis XIV. As a baby-faced maid of honor, the innocent Louise attracts little notice––until she catches the eye of the visiting English king, Charles II. Before long, she is sent by the scheming Louis to London as a royal “gift” for Charles. There she is expected not only to please the tastes of the jaded English king, but to serve as a spy for France.

Alone in a foreign land with few friends, many rivals, and ever-shifting loyalties, Louise soon learns the perils of her new role. Yet she is too clever—and too ambitious—to be merely a pawn in the intrigues of others. With the promise of riches, power, and even the love of a king, Louise dares to create her own destiny in a dangerous dance of intrigue between two kings—and two countries.

One of the regular subjects that I have seen discussed over the last couple of years in various forums is the fact that there are so many Tudor books around. Don't get me wrong, I still love to read a well written book on Henry VIII and his wives, but there are other very interesting English kings that don't seem to get anywhere near as much attention as Henry VIII. There are probably lots of other very interesting figures from history outside of English royalty that we don't hear about enough either.

One such king that I have only had small glimpses of in the past is the Merry Monarch, Charles II. He first came to my attention when I watched a mini-series that featured the very, very tasty Rufus Sewell as Charles II. Then there were glimpses in Forever Amber , enough to make me want to know more. And what a story it is. His father was dethroned and Charles II had to live in exile. Then Charles II was returned and he proceeded to have mistresses all over the place, whilst remaining married to his Queen. The long running struggle between Catholics and Protestants continued throughout his reign, especially when his heir came to the throne following Charles' death.

So what about this book? This is the third book in Susan Holloway Scott's ongoing series about the loves of Charles II, and features Louise de Keroualle. She was a young French lady who was a maid of honour to Charles sister, Henrietta, Duchess D'Orlean, known as Madame, who was married to the brother of Louis XIV (known as Monsieur). Louise came from a poor but noble family, and finds herself overwhelmed and overlooked at the French court, but she soon comes to be one of Madame's closest companions. When Henrietta travels to England to negotiate an integral treaty between her homeland and her adopted country, Louise accompanies her and so is introduced to the very handsome and virile King of England, Charles II.

Following the death of Henrietta, Louise finds herself sent back to England with a dual purpose. The first is to be a 'gift' to Charles, and the second is to be a spy for France. And so begins a love affair that stood the test of time, and the challenges associated with trying to love an English King but still serve the French nation. Even when Charles' attention strayed, he returned time and again to Louise.

The Charles that we see in this novel is a man of contradictions. He seems to have had unflagging energy (and he needed it with all those mistresses to keep happy, and the resulting children to be actively involved with), and appears to have an incredible charisma when it comes to charming the ladies. And yet, he obviously had his own personal integrity, stubbornly choosing to not put his queen aside despite the lack of an heir.

Having not read any of the other books in the series (yet!), it took me a few pages to get used to the way that the story was told. I was also a little uncomfortable with the first portion of the book that was set in the French court. I have read about Monsieur, Duc D'Orleans in other novels set in the French court, namely the Angelique novels, by Sergeanne Golon and he is inevitably portrayed as a very unlikeable character. It is no different here, but in a way it was a very intimate glimpse into a disastrously unhappy royal marriage and in some ways that was quite confronting to read.

Once the action moved away from the French court, Louise, and this book, really came into their own, becoming a very assured and confident lady and story. Without being graphic there was no doubt of the attraction between Charles and Louise, no doubt of the jealousy at Court as Louise is granted honours and gifts, and no doubt of the rivalry between Louise and the other established mistresses of the King, chief among them Barbara Palmer (Lady Castlemaine) and the actress Nell Gwynn.

If there was any other criticisms of this book, it is that the ending was quite rushed, and it would have been really interesting to see what happened to Louise once Charles died. I guess though, the fact that I wanted to read more about Louise, can be taken both as a bad thing and a good thing. The book was cut a little short, but I enjoyed the book enough to want to read more.

In the end I found this an enjoyable read, and I am now in the process of acquiring the first two books in the series. I will definitely be looking for the next book, which Susan has revealed will be called The Countess and the King about Catherine Sedley and should be released next year.

Thanks so much to the author for sending me an ARC of this book.

Susan Holloway Scott on Why I Love Writing about Charles II & the Restoration

We would like to welcome Susan Holloway Scott to our blogiversary celebrations. Susan's new book, THE FRENCH MISTRESS: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth & King Charles II, is being released tomorrow, July 7. You can find out more about Susan's books at her website which is SusanHollowayScott.com





How can I not love England at its very merriest? Coming on the heels of a horrific civil war, a regicide, and the puritanical protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the reign of Charles II (1660-1683) is a writer’s delight. Called the Restoration in honor of Charles’s return to the throne, this period has much in common with other permissive eras that follow a repressive period. An entire generation of aristocratic children had grown into adulthood during the Civil War, and many who would once again form the ruling class were rootless, wild, and often undereducated. Once Charles returned from exile in France to take his father’s crown, traditional morality went out the window. There was considerable experimentation, not only in sexual behavior, but also in theatre, science, art, and music, even in fashion. It’s a fascinating time in which to set stories, looking forward to the humanist themes of the Age of Enlightenment, but still sufficiently medieval that traitors’ severed heads rotted on pikes on London Bridge.

Best of all, the Restoration had Charles himself, often dubbed the “Merrie Monarch.” Tall, athletic, witty, intelligent, and charming, with a tragic history that gave him a romantic air of melancholy, Charles was in many ways a model king. He was kind and tolerant by nature, self-deprecating instead of proud, and leaned more towards forgiveness than vengeance. He was sympathetic towards even the most humble of his subjects, and moved freely among them, walking each day in St. James’s Park. He did have flaws: he would have much preferred to have been an absolute monarch rather than having Parliament nipping at his heels, he much preferred hunting to diplomacy, and he had a king-sized libido that led to a queen, several official mistresses, and informal bedmates by the dozens, and produced nearly a score of recognized royal bastards.


Of course like every historical era, the reign of Charles II is not without tragedy and sorrow. The Restoration saw the last major outbreak of Plague in London, followed soon after by the catastrophic Great Fire that destroyed a sizable part of the city. A series of costly wars did little to settle the constant unease between France and England. And much like Henry VIII, Charles ironically sired no legitimate male son to inherit his throne, which instead was disastrously assumed by his younger brother James.

But to the people he ruled, Charles was their much-loved and very human king, and at his death the country was plunged into grief-stricken despair. If there had been political approval ratings in the 17th century, Charles’s would have been off the charts. He unified a country torn by civil war, restored its economy, and placed England firmly on the world stage. (For more about Charles II, visit my website & blog at www. Susanhollowayscott.com.)

Like fascinated moths at the flame, we historical fiction writers can’t resist Charles or the Restoration. Jean Plaidy, Jude Morgan, Elizabeth Goudge, Iain Pears, Karleen Koen, Diana Norman, and Kathleen Winsor are among those who’ve set books in this fascinating time. My three most recent novels (Royal Harlot, The King’s Favorite, and now The French Mistress, due in stores this week) all feature Charles and the women who loved him. There’s a different side of the king in each book, and yet I still feel I’ve likely only begun to “know” him and the 17th century England he ruled. If you’re tired of Tudors or weary of Regency dukes, look for a book with the Merrie Monarch and the Restoration. You will, I think, be most royally entertained.

And congratulations on Historical Tapestry’s blogiversary!


In order to celebrate the release of The French Mistress, we have a limited supply of bookmarks for the book. If you would like to receive one of these bookmarks please email your postal details to us at historical.tapestry@gmail.com and we will get them out to you as soon as we can.



Stay tuned for a review of The French Mistress to be posted next week.