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The descendants of Charles II of England, Stuart monarch of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France, are numerous; lines from his many illegitimate children exist to this day. Although Charles's wife Catherine of Braganza was barren, he stayed with her but had numerous mistresses. Some of Charles's illegitimate children were born before his marriage. This article deals with the most senior figures who were descended from Charles's illegitimate sons; the names of his daughters are also mentioned.
Contents
- Children by Catherine Pegge
- Children by Barbara Palmer ne Villiers
- Child by Moll Davis
- Charles II Line of Descent to Prince William and Prince Harry
- Other notable descendants
- References
Although some of Charles's children made claims to the throne, most notably his first son James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, their illegitimacy meant that after Charles's death, his brother James, Duke of York, became king. Over the centuries, several of Charles's descendants have made names for themselves, including Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain, the cricket pioneer Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, and the parliamentary reformer Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond.
Diana, Princess of Wales, was descended from two of Charles's illegitimate sons; Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton, and Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond. This means that her son, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, will become the first descendant of Charles II to occupy the British throne, if he succeeds as expected.
Children by Catherine Pegge
Catherine Pegge and Charles II also had a daughter together called Catherine FitzCharles but she died young or became a nun.
Children by Barbara Palmer née Villiers
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, was perhaps the most notorious of Charles's mistresses. Some of the children claimed by Palmer as belonging to Charles are in doubt. Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex, was claimed to be Charles's daughter and he recognised her, though some sources regard Roger Palmer as her father. Palmer claimed Lady Barbara FitzRoy was Charles's daughter, but he never recognised her and most sources consider John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, more likely. Palmer and Charles had another daughter together, Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield, and three sons who were recognised by Charles, their lines are featured below.
Child by Moll Davis
With Moll Davis Charles had one daughter, Lady Mary Tudor. Mary went on to marry Edward Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Derwentwater. Very soon after his death she married Henry Graham, and within a few months of his death she married James Rooke.
Lady Mary Tudor's sons James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater (1689–1716) and Charles Radclyffe (1693–1746) were both notable Jacobites and both were executed for treason following the Risings of 1715 and 1745 respectively.
Charles II Line of Descent to Prince William and Prince Harry
It was a well-known fact that Lady Diana Spencer (later the Princess of Wales) was a direct descendant of Charles II, through two of his illegitimate sons. Diana married The Prince of Wales in 1981 and had two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Currently, the Duke is 2nd in the line of Succession, his son and daughter, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are 3rd and 4th, and Prince Harry is 5th in line. If any of them succeed to the British throne, they will be the first descendants of Charles II of England to accede to the throne. The following list details the line of descent from Charles II of England to Princes William and Harry.
Other notable descendants
Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, through Lady Charlotte Fitzroy
Andrew Russell, 15th Duke of Bedford, through Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, through Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton
Isabella Calthorpe, daughter of John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe
Sarah, Duchess of York, through Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland, through Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron, through Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy and Lady Mary Tudor
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, through Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, through Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort, through Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans
Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee, through Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield