Father Charles II of England Died September 9, 1730 | Name Charles 2nd | |
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Reign 9 October 1709 – 9 September 1730 Born 18 June 1662 ( 1662-06-18 ) Mother Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland Children William FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Cleveland Parents Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, Charles II of England Grandparents Charles I of England, Henrietta Maria of France, Mary Bayning, William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison Cousins Anne - Queen of Great Brit, William III of England, Mary II of England, James Francis Edward S, Marie Louise of Orleans Similar People Barbara Palmer - 1st Duchess, Charles II of England, Roger Palmer - 1st Earl of Ca, Charlotte Lee - Countess, Anne Lennard - Countess | ||
Charles Palmer, later FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, 1st Duke of Southampton, KG, Chief Butler of England (18 June 1662 – 9 September 1730), styled Baron Limerick before 1670 and Earl of Southampton between 1670 and 1675, was the eldest son of Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine (nee Barbara Villiers, later 1st Duchess of Cleveland) and the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. As the putative son of Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, his nominal father, he was styled Lord Limerick from birth. His birth marked the separation of his parents; Lord Castlemaine, a Roman Catholic, had him baptised into the Roman Catholic faith, but six days later the King had him re-christened into the Church of England.
In 1670, at the age of eight, he was betrothed to Mary Wood, daughter of Sir Henry Wood, Clerk of the Green Cloth, but with the proviso that the marriage be delayed until Mary turned 16. Following the death of her father, the Duchess of Cleveland more or less abducted Mary, with the intention of bringing her up with her own children. He had no children of this marriage but had from his second marriage to Anne Pulteney.
In 1675 he was created Duke of Southampton and upon the death of his mother in 1709 he became 2nd Duke of Cleveland, by a special remainder in the Dukedom which allowed it to pass to him, even though he was illegitimate. He died aged 68.