The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast
When George I arrived in England he found a kingdom in turmoil. Mistrustful of the new monarch from Hanover, his subjects met his coronation with riots. At George’s side was his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenberg, whilst his ex-wife languished in prison. Known as the Maypole thanks to her eye-catching figure, Melusine was the king’s confidante for decades. She was a mother to his children and a queen without a crown. George II never forgave his father for tearing him from his mother's arms and he was determined to marry for love, not duty. Though his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, proved to be a politically gifted queen, George II turned to another for affection. She was Henrietta Howard, the impoverished Countess of Suffolk, and she was desperate to escape her brutish husband. As the years passed, the royal affair became a powerplay between king and queen and the woman who was mistress to one and servant to another. Melusine and Henrietta's privileged position made them the envy of every courtier. It also made them a target of jealousy, plotting and ambition. In the tumultuous Georgian court, the bedroom and the throne room weren't so far apart.
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The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast
When George I arrived in England he found a kingdom in turmoil. Mistrustful of the new monarch from Hanover, his subjects met his coronation with riots. At George’s side was his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenberg, whilst his ex-wife languished in prison. Known as the Maypole thanks to her eye-catching figure, Melusine was the king’s confidante for decades. She was a mother to his children and a queen without a crown. George II never forgave his father for tearing him from his mother's arms and he was determined to marry for love, not duty. Though his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, proved to be a politically gifted queen, George II turned to another for affection. She was Henrietta Howard, the impoverished Countess of Suffolk, and she was desperate to escape her brutish husband. As the years passed, the royal affair became a powerplay between king and queen and the woman who was mistress to one and servant to another. Melusine and Henrietta's privileged position made them the envy of every courtier. It also made them a target of jealousy, plotting and ambition. In the tumultuous Georgian court, the bedroom and the throne room weren't so far apart.
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The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast

The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast

by Catherine Curzon
The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast

The Mistresses of George I & II: A Maypole & a Peevish Beast

by Catherine Curzon

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Overview

When George I arrived in England he found a kingdom in turmoil. Mistrustful of the new monarch from Hanover, his subjects met his coronation with riots. At George’s side was his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenberg, whilst his ex-wife languished in prison. Known as the Maypole thanks to her eye-catching figure, Melusine was the king’s confidante for decades. She was a mother to his children and a queen without a crown. George II never forgave his father for tearing him from his mother's arms and he was determined to marry for love, not duty. Though his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, proved to be a politically gifted queen, George II turned to another for affection. She was Henrietta Howard, the impoverished Countess of Suffolk, and she was desperate to escape her brutish husband. As the years passed, the royal affair became a powerplay between king and queen and the woman who was mistress to one and servant to another. Melusine and Henrietta's privileged position made them the envy of every courtier. It also made them a target of jealousy, plotting and ambition. In the tumultuous Georgian court, the bedroom and the throne room weren't so far apart.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781526762733
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date: 07/08/2022
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 216
Sales rank: 745,742
File size: 9 MB

About the Author

CATHERINE CURZON is a royal historian who writes on all matters 18th century at www.madamegilflurt.com. Her work has been featured on HistoryExtra.com, the official website of BBC History Magazine, and in publications such as Explore History, All About History, History of Royals, and Jane Austen’s Regency World. She has spoken at venues including Kenwood House, Wellington College, the Royal Pavilion, the Hurlingham Club, the National Maritime Museum and Dr Johnson’s House. Catherine holds a master’s degree in film and when not dodging the furies of the guillotine, can be found cheering on the mighty Terriers. She lives in Yorkshire atop a ludicrously steep hill.

Table of Contents

Illustrations vii

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction x

Act I Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenberg, Duchess of Kendal 1

The Girl from Emden 3

The Electorate 7

A New Arrival 21

The Family 24

An Electoral Divorce 29

The Act of Settlement 32

The King's Mistress 36

Titles and Rivals 46

Popping the Bubble 58

Making Coin 69

Wedding Plans 76

Bolingbroke 81

A Left-Handed Marriage 87

The Widower's Fancy 92

After George 96

The Death of the Duchess 99

Act II Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk 101

The Daughter of Blickling Hall 103

Marrying Suffolk 107

Mr and Mrs Smith 110

The Heir of Hanover 113

A New Beginning 116

At Court 119

The Split 124

Royal Favourite 132

Royal Servant 140

New Horizons 144

Marital Strife 151

Mistress to a King 155

The Countess of Suffolk 160

The Merry Widow 167

Mrs Berkeley 172

Twilight 176

The Late Countess 182

Afterword 184

Bibliography 185

Index 192

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