The king's bed
Subtitle: sex and power in the court of Charles II
By: Don Jordan & Michael Walsh
Contributors: Walsh, Mike, 1940- author
Edition: First Pegasus Books hardcover edition.
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 354
ISBN-13: 9781605989693
Copyright date: 2015
Subjects: Kings and rulers; Relations with women; Biography; History
Description: To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons were largely conducted in royal palaces surrounded by friends, courtiers and literally hundreds of servants and soldiers. Gossip radiated throughout the kingdom. Charles spent most of his wealth and his intellect on gaining and keeping the company of women, from the lowest sections of society such as the actress Nell Gwyn to the aristocratic Louise de Kérouaille. Some of Charles' women played their part in the affairs of state, coloring the way the nation was run. The astonishing private life of Charles II reveals much about the man he was and why he lived and ruled as he did. The King's Bed tells the compelling story of a king ruled by his passion.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 331-335) and index.
Table of contents: title: The last soirée; title: The making of a prince; title: Exile and first love; title: The fugitive; title: The life of an exiled king; title: Restoration; title: The bride's price; title: The dissolute court; title: Married life; title: Illness, plague and fire; title: Rivalry and betrayal; title: Entrances and exits; title: Theatrical acts; title: A secret pact; title: The French rival; title: A spy in the bed; title: A sensational encounter with the past; title: Plots and alarms; title: Death of the king.