Charles the Second's French mistress;: A biography of Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, 1649-1734

This book is a detailed biography/historical account of Louise-Renee de Keroualle's life; Charles II's French Mistress. Some information on who Louise de Kerouall was: Charles II was known to have had many mistresses, one famous (or infamous) beauty was Louise-Renee de Keroualle (1649-1734). Her background of nobility (her father, Comte Guillaume de Penancoet de Keroualle and her mother Marie de Ploeuc de Timeur, a daughter of a marquis,) her family was relatively poor and Louise did not have a dowry, severely damaging her chances of making a good marriage, even with the family's good name and Louise's good looks. In 1668 at the age of nineteen she traveled to France to take up a position as a maid of honour to Henrietta Duchesse d'Orleans the youngest and most favorite sister of Charles II. In 1670 Henrietta was asked by Louis XIV to negotiate the Secret Treaty of Dover with Charles II, which meant a trip to England. As maid of honour, Louise de Keroualle attended Henrietta on the trip, during which Charles noticed Louise. Once back in France tragedy stuck. Henrietta became very ill and died, leaving Louise in a difficult situation. With no position or money she thought of becoming a nun, however, Charles II wrote a message to the French king asking if Louise de Keroualle would came to serve as a maid of honour to his Queen Catherine of Braganza. This was something Louis XIV viewed as an opportunity, to use Louise as someone who would report back on what was happening at the English court, and to keep the English king friendly with France. In time, she became the mistress of Charles II, and was given the titles Duchess of Portsmouth, Countess of Fareham and Baroness Petersfield.