Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield (5 September 1664 – 17 February 1718), formerly Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, was the illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England
by one of his most notorious mistresses
, Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
. Castlemaine did not father any of his wife's children; rather, Charlotte and her siblings were the illegitimate offspring of their mother's royal lover, Charles II
. The king acknowledged her as his daughter and so she bore the surname of Fitzroy - "son of the King".
She was the favourite niece of James, Duke of York
, younger brother of Charles II
, who would later reign as James II. "We know but little of her except that she was beautiful;" she "rivaled her mother in beauty, but was far unlike her in every other respect." As the Duchess of Cleveland was known for her diabolical nature, the implication here is that Charlotte was a sweet-tempered and pleasing person; one memoirist attests to that assumption, describing Lady Lichfield as "a very good and virtuous lady." It is said that the king had a greater value and love for this lady than he had for his other children.
, and married on 6 February 1677 at twelve years of age. When Charles Stewart, 6th Duke of Lennox died in 1673, Sir Edward was created Earl of Lichfield
.
Together they had eighteen children:
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
by one of his most notorious mistresses
Royal mistress
A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal. Some mistresses have had considerable power. The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic...
, Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of which were acknowledged and subsequently ennobled...
Family
She was the fourth child and second daughter of Barbara Palmer née Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine who was by then separated but still married to Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of CastlemaineRoger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine
Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine PC was an English courtier, diplomat, and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660. He was also a noted Catholic writer...
. Castlemaine did not father any of his wife's children; rather, Charlotte and her siblings were the illegitimate offspring of their mother's royal lover, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. The king acknowledged her as his daughter and so she bore the surname of Fitzroy - "son of the King".
She was the favourite niece of James, Duke of York
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, younger brother of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, who would later reign as James II. "We know but little of her except that she was beautiful;" she "rivaled her mother in beauty, but was far unlike her in every other respect." As the Duchess of Cleveland was known for her diabolical nature, the implication here is that Charlotte was a sweet-tempered and pleasing person; one memoirist attests to that assumption, describing Lady Lichfield as "a very good and virtuous lady." It is said that the king had a greater value and love for this lady than he had for his other children.
Marriage and issue
On 16 May 1674, before her tenth birthday, Lady Charlotte was contracted to Sir Edward LeeEdward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Sir Edward Henry Lee, 5th Baronet, of Ditchley and of Quarendon, created 1st Earl of Lichfield was an English peer. He was a staunch tory and followed James II to Rochester, Kent after the king's escape from Whitehall in December 1688...
, and married on 6 February 1677 at twelve years of age. When Charles Stewart, 6th Duke of Lennox died in 1673, Sir Edward was created Earl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield
Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history. Lord Bernard Stewart, youngest son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was to be created Earl of Lichfield by Charles I for his actions at the battles of Newbury and Naseby but died before the creation could...
.
Together they had eighteen children:
- Charlotte Lee, Lady BaltimoreCharlotte Lee, Lady BaltimoreCharlotte Lee, Lady Baltimore , was an English noblewoman, being the granddaughter of King Charles II of England and his mistress Barbara Villiers. She married firstly in 1699, Benedict Leonard Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore, from whom she separated in 1705; and later she married Christopher Crowe...
(13 March 1678 (Old Style) – 22 January 1721), first married to Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron BaltimoreBenedict Calvert, 4th Baron BaltimoreBenedict Leonard Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore, 10th Proprietary Governor of Maryland was an English nobleman and politician. He was the second son of Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore by Jane Lowe. He became his father's heir upon the death of his elder brother, Cecil in 1681...
and secondly to Christopher Crowe, Consul of Leghorn. She had issue by both husbands. - Charles Lee, Viscount Quarendon (6 May 1680 – 13 October 1680).
- Edward Henry Lee, Viscount Quarendon (6 June 1681 – 21 October 1713).
- Captain Hon. James Lee (13 November 1681 – 1711).
- Francis Lee (14 February 1685 – died young).
- Anne Lee (29 June 1686 – d. 1716?), married N Morgan.
- Charles Lee (5 June 1688 – 3 January 1708).
- George Henry Lee, 2nd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Lee, 2nd Earl of LichfieldGeorge Henry Lee I, 2nd Earl of Lichfield was the sixth son of Edward Henry Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II by his mistress, the celebrated courtesan Barbara Villiers. On 14 July 1716 George Henry Lee succeeded his father as the 2nd...
(12 March 1690 – 15 February 1743). - Francis Henry Fitzroy Lee (10 September 1692 – died young).
- Elizabeth Lee (26 May 1693 – 29 January 1739). Married:
- (1) Francis Lee, a cousin. Had one son and two daughters, the eldest of whom, Elisabeth (d. 1736 at LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
) married Henry Temple, son of the 1st Viscount PalmerstonHenry Temple, 1st Viscount PalmerstonHenry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston was an Irish nobleman and British politician, the eldest son of Sir John Temple, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons....
. - (2) Edward YoungEdward YoungEdward Young was an English poet, best remembered for Night Thoughts.-Early life:He was the son of Edward Young, later Dean of Salisbury, and was born at his father's rectory at Upham, near Winchester, where he was baptized on 3 July 1683. He was educated at Winchester College, and matriculated...
, in 1731, author of the Night ThoughtsNight Thoughts (poem)The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, better known simply as Night-Thoughts, is a long poem by Edward Young published in nine parts between 1742 and 1745.The poem is written in blank verse...
, by whom she had one son. It is said that he never recovered from Elizabeth's death.
- (1) Francis Lee, a cousin. Had one son and two daughters, the eldest of whom, Elisabeth (d. 1736 at Lyon
- Barbara Lee (3 March 1695 – d. aft. 1729), married Sir George Browne, 3rd Baronet of Kiddington.
- Mary Isabella Lee (6 September 1697 – 28 December 1697).
- Fitzroy Lee (10 May 1698 – died young).
- Vice Admiral FitzRoy Henry LeeFitzRoy Henry LeeFitzroy Henry Lee was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served as Commodore Governor of Newfoundland, Canada. He was supposedly the model for Hawser Trunnion from Tobias Smollett's The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle....
(2 January 1700 – April 1751), Commodore Governor of Newfoundland. - William Lee (24 June 1701 – died young).
- Thomas Lee (25 August 1703 – died young).
- John Lee (3 December 1704 – died young).
- Robert Lee, 4th Earl of LichfieldRobert Lee, 4th Earl of LichfieldRobert Lee, 4th Earl of Lichfield was an uncle of the 3rd Earl, George Henry Lee II. He was a son of Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield and his wife Charlotte Fitzroy, an illegitimate daughter of Charles II....
(3 July 1706 – 3 November 1776).