Who were the “Windsor Beauties”? Who commissioned and painted each of the portraits? Why were the sitters selected, and why have each of the women been depicted in such a similar fashion?
In this article, we will learn a little more about this most famous series by Sir Peter Lely. We will delve into the lives of each of the sitters, and explore the fascinating ways in which they were so beautifully and elegantly brought to life. We will even consider the differences between the ladies in accordance with their rank, and question how beauty was interpreted during the 17th century.
The Windsor Beauties (A Collection by Sir Peter Lely)
The collection of art known as the “Windsor Beauties” was painted in the 17th century by a Dutch artist, named Sir Peter Lely. This series of portraits, depicting ten of the most desirable women living at the Court of King Charles II, is undoubtedly Peter Lely’s most famous work. The set was commissioned by Anne Hyde, the Duchess of York, and the wife of the future King of England, James II.
Anne Hyde was by no means the only royal to commission such a series. In fact, this was an extremely common artistic theme of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Hampton Court Beauties, painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller, were commissioned by Queen Mary II of England; they depicted the most glamorous ladies from the Court of King William III. Furthermore, King Ludwig I of Bavaria commissioned a collection known as “the Gallery of Beauties,” which consisted of 38 feminine portraits displayed in the South Pavilion of the Nymphenburg Palace.
A second version of the series—ten copies of the original Windsor Beauties—were commissioned by Robert Spencer, the second Earl of Sunderland. He kept his modern collection at Althorp House. His complete set can still be viewed there in his Picture Gallery, a room he created to show off his adoration for art.
So, who exactly were the Windsor Beauties? The sitters were duchesses, countesses, ladies, courtesans, mistresses, and respected members of the nobility. They all knew each other personally — they were friends and they were enemies. They shared a home at the royal court of England. Whether they liked it or not, they even shared their husbands and lovers.
They included Jane Needham, Lady Whitmore, Lady Denham, the Countess of Rochester, the Countess of Falmouth, the Countess of Northumberland, and the Countess of Sunderland. However, the best known of the Windsor Beauties include Barbara Villiers (mistress of King Charles II), Anne Hyde (wife of King James II), and Henrietta of England (sister of King Charles II and daughter of King Charles II).
The first mention of the Windsor Beauties as a collection can be found in the diaries of Samuel Pepys (1633-1703). On the 21st of August in 1668, he recorded that he saw “the Duke of York’s room of pictures of some Maids of Honour, done by Lely: Good, but not like.”
By describing the pictures as “not like,” Pepys was alluding to the opinion that Lely flattered his subjects. Also, contrary to Pepys’s comment, only one of the sitters actually ever held the position of “maid of honor” in the royal household — Frances Stuart.
Eleven portraits are mentioned in the first inventory taken, although today only ten are identified as actually belonging to the group. Nine of the portraits are sure to have been painted by Peter Lely’s own hand, but one—the portrait of Anne Digby Countess of Sunderland—appears to be a copy by his workshop.
In 1647, after the death of Anne Hyde, the ten portraits were hung as a group in the White Room at Whitehall Palace, which was reported as being adorned with white sarcenet and over it mohair with a silk fringe.
The series was promptly taken from Whitehall to Windsor by King James II and rehung in the Queen’s Waiting Room. A little later, it seems that they were moved to the Princess’s Dressing Room. However, records tell us that during the reign of Queen Anne, the Windsor Beauties were displayed in the queen’s waiting room, and a few years later, in the queen’s state bedchamber.
By the year 1835, all portraits were present at Hampton Court, where they remain to this day. The Windsor Beauties are now owned by King Charles III of England. They form part of the Royal Collection, the largest private collection of art in the world.
Sir Peter Lely: The Basics of His Life and Work
Sir Peter Lely was born on the 14th of September in 1618 and died on the 7th of December in 1680. He was originally known as Pieter van der Faes, but later changed his name, perhaps with the intention of sounding more English. The origin of the name Lely is said to be the lily carved into his family home in the Hague.
It was in around 1643 that Peter Lely arrived in England. He quickly made his mark as a new and upcoming artist; it didn’t take long for his popularity to rise to exceptional heights. He soon succeeded Anthony van Dyck, who had died in 1641, as the most fashionable portraitist in England. He became a member of the Painter Stainers’ Company in 1647 and then became a court painter to King Charles I.
Peter Lely’s talent ensured that his career was not interrupted by the execution of King Charles; he instead served Oliver Cromwell, whom he famously painted warts and all.
Demand for portraits of this quality was particularly high during this era. Luckily, Peter Lely and his workshop were notably prolific. In 1661, one year following the English Restoration, Peter Lely was appointed “principal painter” by King Charles II.
After his death, Peter Lely was replaced as court portraitist by Sir Godfrey Kneller and John Riley, who held the post jointly. Godfrey Kneller was particularly known for his similarities with Peter Lely but combined Lely’s traditional style with more modern trends.
How Did Peter Lely Depict 17th-Century Beauty?
We often associate an obsession with beauty with the modern and often superficial 21st century. However, the assumption that our fixation with our looks is a new phenomenon could not be further from the truth. During the reign of King Charles II and King James II, beauty was the most important feature a woman could possess. It went hand in hand with wealth, sophistication, and style. Yes, even 400 years ago, women were as preoccupied with their looks as we are today.
One piece of evidence to support this idea lies in the recorded sales of pocket mirrors, which were then known as looking glasses. They were extremely expensive and especially prized. It was the Venetians who were the first to successfully create a proper artificial reflection. They did this by backing glass with silvery tin or mercury. The method eventually reached Britain, where the second Duke of Buckingham became patron of a mirror factory in Vauxhall.
Another piece of evidence lies in the ever-changing and extremely important trends of the era. Fashionable ladies and gentlemen of the court followed the style of dress worn by King Charles I and Henrietta Maria, then by King Charles II and his many mistresses, and later by King James II and Mary of Modena. The favorite colors of the royals included light blue, peach, grey, olive-green, and yellow.
High-class courtiers wore clothes that displayed elegance and expense, and only extremely wealthy noblemen and women could afford to keep up with the latest styles. The style of dresses worn by women was much more relaxed and much less restrictive than the clothes worn at court during the reign of King James I, whose fashion style was more reminiscent of the Tudor and Elizabethan clothes.
Clothes were extremely important to women of the 17th century, even more so as they gradually aged. Beauty was fleeting back then—even more so than today—and girls
were considered past their prime by the age of 20. It was Peter Lely who was chosen to immortalize this beauty by recreating ten of the most attractive women at the court of King Charles II. He specialized in portraiture, and although he painted both men and women, his particular talent was bringing to life his female clientele.
Peter Lely’s women are noted for their subtle coloring, skillful rendering of silk, and the air of sensuous languor with which they invest their subjects. He gave his subjects a sleepy-eyed sort of air, said to have been influenced by the features of the most beautiful woman at court, Barbara Villiers, who we will read more about later. His men, on the other hand, are noted for their rugged and severely masculine characterizations.
The Windsor Beauties are painted in an almost seductive state of undress. They are either draped in flowing fabric or adorned in loose, informal gowns. These gowns are extremely casual in comparison with what had been portrayed in portraiture of the previous centuries and represent a rather timeless image. Peter Lely had a great skill for providing his women with a soft appearance, and for delicately and tastefully suggesting the image of the body beneath the dress.
The casualness of such a dress also signified the status of the sitter. Interestingly, and in contradiction with popular belief, the custom dictated that those of a lower social standing should not appear to be more informally dressed than their superiors.
1. Anne Hyde, Duchess of York
Anne Hyde is undoubtedly the most important of the Windsor Beauties. After all, it was she who commissioned the series and selected the sitters. Without her influence, these paintings would not exist.
Anne Hyde herself is best remembered for being the Duchess of York, the first wife of James Stuart, Duke of York. James Stuart was the brother of King Charles II, and he would later succeed him as King of England. Although neither James nor his wife knew this at the time of the marriage, the possibility of inheriting the throne is likely to have loomed over them throughout their union.
Anne Hyde would have become Queen of England, had she not died many years before her husband’s reign began. Unfortunately, she died in 1671, and the short reign of King James II did not begin until 1685.
Of Anne Hyde’s eight known children, two inherited the throne. Two of her daughters became Queen of England: Mary II (1662-1694) and Anne (1665-1714).
After her death, King James II remarried. His second wife was Mary of Modena. By her, he had many children, only two of whom survived into adulthood. One was Louisa Maria Teresa and the other was James, Prince of Wales (now remembered as the Old Pretender).
2. Henrietta Stuart, Duchess of Orleans
Henrietta Stuart, Duchess of Orleans, is undoubtedly the most prestigious name on this list. Henrietta was the daughter of a King, the sister of a King, the sister-in-law of a King, and the maternal and paternal granddaughter of two Kings. She was even the mistress of a King, as well as the wife of the Duke of Orleans.
Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France were Henrietta of England’s mother and father. Charles II was her brother. Louis XIV of France—also known as the Sun King—was her brother-in-law and lover.
Although she is most famous for her relationship with the King of France, it is also known that she had one other notable love affair while living at the French court. Her other lover was the Count of Guiche, a nobleman and adventurer. Henrietta of England was known to her friends and family as “Minette,” a nickname that was originally given to her by her brother Charles.
On the 13th of June in 1670, Henrietta of England died at the young age of 26. She and many of her circle believed her to have been poisoned, but modern historians think that she suffered either from peritonitis, an ulcer of the stomach, or appendicitis.
Many are familiar with the television series Versailles, in which the character of Henrietta of England, referred to as Henriette, is brilliantly portrayed by Noemie Schmidt.
3. Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland
The third of our Windsor Beauties—debatably the most famous—is known by many names. Barbara Villiers; Barbara Palmer; The Duchess of Cleveland; The Countess of Castlemaine; The Queen of Love; The Lady of One Thousand Charms; The Female Don Juan; and the slightly less flattering “beautiful shrew.” They all refer to the same woman; the favorite and longest-lasting mistress of King Charles II.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica claims Barbara Villiers to have been favored by King Charles II above all others. It states that Barbara Villiers was a favorite mistress of the English King Charles II; she bore several of his illegitimate children. It also tells us that she possessed exceptional beauty but also a few crude mannerisms.
Barbara Villiers has even been called the Uncrowned Queen in accordance with her influence over the King. Furthermore, in 1906, WRH Trowbridge wrote that her greed for gain was equaled only by her man-hunger.
Of her six children, five were acknowledged by King Charles II as his own. It is thought that he did not truly believe the youngest to be his child but was coerced by Barbara into agreeing to own the paternity legally. The names of their children were Lady Anne Palmer (1661-1722), Charles Palmer (1662-1730), Henry FitzRoy (1663-1690), Charlotte FitzRoy (1664-178), George FitzRoy (1665-1716), and Barbara Benedicata FitzRoy (1672-1737).
4. Anne Digby, Countess of Sunderland
Anne Digby, later known as Anne Spencer or the Countess of Sunderland, was the daughter of George Digby the second Earl of Bristol, and his wife, Lady Anne Russell.
She was born sometime in 1646 and married a man named Robert Spencer just 19 years later, on the 10th of June in 1665. According to popular accounts of their love story, the groom had previously broken off their long-standing engagement. According to Samuel Pepys, he told his friends that he had reason enough and was resolved never to have her.
We don’t know what changed Robert Spencer’s mind, but the couple married as was originally planned, and their relationship was extremely successful.
Some of the most historically notable points of Anne Digby’s life include her time as lady-in-waiting to Mary of Modena during the reign of King James II, and her ongoing friendship with Sarah Churchill. Sarah Churchill would later become the Duchess of Marlborough. This caused the future Queen Anne to dislike her — she was jealous of the time they spent together.
5. Mary Bagot, Countess of Falmouth and Dorset
Very few details regarding the life of Mary Bagot have been passed down to us. However, we can be sure of one very important fact. Not only was Mary Bagot one of the Windsor Beauties, but she was also one of the many mistresses of King Charles II.
In addition to her ongoing and romantic relationship with the King, Mary Bagot was also married twice. Her first husband was Charles Berkeley (the first Earl of Falmouth). He died at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. Her second husband was Charles Sackville (the sixth Earl of Dorset).
In this portrait, Mary Bagot is depicted in a slight state of undress. As previously mentioned, this was an extremely fashionable statement of the era. Her white shift is modestly covered by a piece of blue silk hanging over her shoulder.
In some portrait prints, and in certain publications of the 18th and 19th centuries, Mary Bagot has been incorrectly identified and labeled as the Countess of Ossory. Many of these books were later reprinted with the error corrected. The actual Countess of Ossory was Emilia Butler, whose almost identical portrait by Peter Lely was once thought to be part of the collection of Windsor Beauties, but is no longer considered to form part of the series.
Mary Bagot died in childbirth on the 12th of September in 1679, at the age of just 34.
6. Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Northumberland
Elizabeth Wriothesley lived between the years of 1646 and 1690. She was a great patron of Sir Peter Lely and he painted her several times. As well as being chosen to sit for the Windsor Beauties, hers was also among the series of portraits commissioned by Cosimo III de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Elizabeth married twice. Her first husband was Joceline Percy, the 11th Earl of Northumberland. He was the owner of Petworth House in Sussex, alongside vast estates elsewhere in England.
By him, she had two children: Henry Percy who predeceased his father and died an infant, and Elizabeth Percy who became the heiress of the great Percy estates. Amazingly, at the age of just 15, the younger Elizabeth married her third husband, Charles Seymour, the Duke of Somerset.
Elizabeth Wriothesley’s second husband was Ralph Montagu. She mothered two children by him, John Montagu (second Earl of Montagu) and Anne Montagu (the wife of Alexander Popham).
7. Henrietta Boyle, Countess of Rochester
Henrietta Boyle was born in Wiltshire sometime in 1646. Her parents were Richard Boyle, the second Earl of Cork, and his wife Elizabeth Boyle. Henrietta married Laurence Hyde, the first Earl of Rochester, and with him had four children. They were Lady Anne Hyde, Lady Mary Hyde, Henry Hyde (fourth Earl of Clarendon), and Lady Henrietta Hyde.
Although very little is known about her life at court, Henrietta Boyle is remembered for several reasons.
Firstly, she is remembered due to the fact that, for the last two years of her life, her husband acted as chief minister to King James II. To say that Henrietta Boyle enjoyed her husband’s prestigious position would be an understatement — she took full advantage of her new position and claimed every possible privilege.
Secondly, she is remembered for her bitter rivalry with her husband’s niece, the future Queen Anne. Their most notable argument was over the question of who should sleep in the best apartments of Whitehall Palace. As the wife of the chief minister, Henrietta felt that she was entitled to acquire them herself. As the young daughter of King James II, Anne naturally felt that it should be her.
Henrietta was thought to be beautiful and sophisticated, but also strong-minded, abrasive, and ruthless. She died in April of 1687, at the age of 41.
8. Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham
Margaret Brooke, also called Lady Denham, is remembered for two reasons. Firstly, she was a mistress of the man who would one day become King James II. Secondly, she became unwell and died at the age of just 25 under suspicious circumstances. But before we explore her death, let us look briefly at her life.
Margaret Brooke was born in 1642; 23 years later, she married an MP and poet named John Denham, who was 30 years her senior. While living with her husband at court she began a romantic affair with James Stuart, Duke of York and future King of England. John Denham was enraged by the relationship. Margaret met publicly with James, and James formally acknowledged her as his lover.
When she became seriously ill in 1667, suspicion immediately fell on her jealous husband. Samuel Pepys was just one of the men who helped spread the rumor that John Denham had poisoned his wife. Other suspects were the Duchess of York (James Stuart’s wife), and Henrietta Boyle, both of whom have portraits featured in this collection.
Following Lady Denham’s death, and perhaps feeling guilty that he had been the indirect cause of her demise, James Duke of York declared that he would never publicly acknowledge another Mistress.
Margaret Brooke’s sister, Frances Brooke, was another of the Windsor Beauties.
9. Frances Brooke, Lady Whitmore
Frances Brooke was the less famous and little well-remembered sister of the aforementioned Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham. As well as Margaret, Frances had another two sisters; one elder half-sister from her father’s first marriage, and another younger full-sister from his second.
Frances’s father was William Brooke, who lived between 1598 and 1643. He was the Member of Parliament for Rochester in Kent. Her mother was a woman practically unknown, originally known as Penelope Hill.
Frances Brooke became a lady through her marriage to Sir Thomas Whitmore. She was notably attractive and was deemed beautiful, sophisticated, and wealthy enough to be chosen by Anne Hyde and Peter Lely as a candidate for the series.
Very little is known of her life other than these few facts. Nonetheless, she is immortalized as one of the Windsor Beauties, and her portrait is no less important to the collection as a whole than that of the likes of Anne Hyde and Barbara Villiers.
10. Jane Needham, Mrs Myddleton
Jane Needham was born sometime in the latter part of 1645, and was baptized in Lambeth on the 23rd of January in 1646; 14 years later, she married her husband, Charles Myddleton.
The couple lived mainly on the North side of Charles Street in the West of London, but she also possessed a country retreat in Greenwich and was even a regular guest of her good friend George Villiers, the second Duke of Buckingham.
Jane Needham was neither a duchess nor a countess, nor even a lady, but her beauty was said to rival even the grandest of the women at Court. John Evelyn (1620-1706) described Jane Needham as that famous and indeed incomparable beauty. The British historian and biographer, Antonia Fraser, claimed that Jane Needham’s life was founded on masculine support in return for sexual favors and that her affairs were seen more as a tribute paid to her great beauty.
The Dictionary of National Biography describes this depiction of Jane Needham as representing a slightly torpid type of blonde loveliness, with a voluptuous figure, full lips, auburn hair, and dark hazel eyes.
Jane Needham was notably pursued by many gentlemen. Just a few of the men who actively sought her attention included Philibert (Count de Gramont), Richard Jones (Viscount Ranelagh), William Russell, the poet Edmund Waller, James Stuart (future King of England), and even King Charles II himself.
Despite her many admirers, she is thought only to have taken two lovers. The first was Ralph Montagu. The second was Laurence Hyde, who was married to another of the Windsor Beauties, Henrietta Boyle. Although she had numerous chances to begin a relationship with the king, Jane Needham resisted the possibility of becoming a royal mistress. Interestingly, her younger sister Eleanor was a mistress for several years to the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of King Charles II and Lucy Walter.
By her husband, Jane Needham had one daughter whom she named Jane, but more often called Jenny. After the accession of King James II, Jane Needham enjoyed an annual pension of £500. She herself died in 1692 at the age of 47.
Sir Peter Lely: His Death and Legacy
The life of Sir Peter Lely came to an abrupt end on the 7th of December, 1680. According to popular belief, he died happily and without fear while sitting at his easel, in the midst of a portrait sitting in Covent Garden.
Peter Lely was buried in the Churchyard of Saint Paul’s, also located in Covent Garden. We can no longer visit his final resting place, for the exact location is now unknown. However, tribute can be paid to him at Hampton Court Palace, where all ten of the original Windsor Beauties are now on display as part of the Royal Collection.
Although he is not necessarily one of the best-known artists of the era, his work is still viewed daily by people all over the world, and his portraits remain some of the most recognizable in British history.
