We’re moving away from the movies today, and looking at a few women who were the mistresses of various kings and emperors. First up:
Emperor Alexander II of Russia and Catherine (Katya) Dolgorukova
Next, Britain’s Charles II and…
Barbara Villers Castlemaine Palmer
Phew… it’s a wonder the old boy had any time left over to do any ruling. Anyway, now it’s the turn of:
King Frederick William II of Prussia and Wilhelmine Rietz 
Back to Britain for some King Georges.
George I and Sophia Kielmansegg
George II and Henrietta Howard
George IV and Mary Robinson
And lastly for today, from Austria-Hungary, Emperor Franz Joseph I and:
Anna Nahowski
(who, by the way, was all of fifteen years old when FJ started bonking her; then again, she was already married and thus by law no longer a minor)
More next week.
Man they had some ugly horz back in the old days didn’t they?
Moll and Nell look like the same strumpet.
Ghost,
Social norms for beauty change with time .. someone from the 1800s might say today’s women are butt fugly. As for two looking the same .. two portrait artists using similar painting styles?
Well done Kim – mistresses in history had to make do without cosmetic surgery and the paint and plaster that passes for beauty these days. Some even had a bit of character, charm and wit to go with it. Looking forward to later numbers in the series.
Hanoverian tastes were about what I expected.
It was good to be king.