6. King Charles II and Barbara Palmer
During the Restoration, King Charles II‘s affair with Barbara Palmer was the talk of the kingdom. Barbara, also known as Lady Castlemaine, wielded remarkable influence at court—not just as the king’s mistress, but as a political player in her own right.
Her lavish lifestyle and open relationship with Charles II highlighted the era’s permissive attitudes and blurred the lines between personal pleasure and state matters. Historic Royal Palaces details how Palmer’s power set tongues wagging across England.
