Eleanor "Nell" Gwynn (sometimes spelled Gwyn or Gwynne) was one of the earliest English actresses to attain both popular and prominent acclaim. Regarded as a gifted comedienne with a down-to-earth friendliness, charm, natural intelligence, and sense of fun, she attracted the attention of King Charles II. She is best remembered as a long-time mistress of the King, and for her ability to charm many prominent English subjects. Diarist Samuel Pepys called her "pretty, witty Nell." Her positive, gregarious personality has led to some calling her a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England. Indeed, many consider her a folk heroine. By Charles II, Nell had two sons, one of whom survived to adulthood and has living descendants today. Charles bestowed noble titles on both the sons he had with Nell.

Little is known about Nell's background. It is known that she was born within the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and is thought to have lived most of her life in the city. She is believed by most biographers to have been low born, though her father, Thomas Gwyn, was a Captain in the Cavalier Army during the English Civil War. Her father apparently abandoned the family when Nell was very young, and her mother turned to alcohol and ran a brothel. It is possible that Nell worked there as a child prostitute, though according to Pepys' second-hand account, Nell claimed to have been the whore of only one man (Charles II), but that she did grow up in a bawdy house and worked as a serving girl. She did take a lover around 1662 by the name of Duncan or Dungan, and which later became the subject of satire. Her lover provided Nell with rooms at a tavern, and according to the satires he was involved in securing Nell a job at a nearby theater.

Theater was a popular pastime during the Restoration period, and many licenses were granted to open such houses of entertainment. A friend of Nell's mother named "Orange Moll" obtained a license to sell oranges, other fruits, and confectionaries within theatres. Orange Moll hired Nell and her older sister Rose as "orange-girls," selling fruit and candies for sixpence each. This was Nell's foot into the theatrical world. During the 17th century the term actress usually equated to "prostitute," and one of Nell's jobs as an orange girl was to ferry messages between men in the audience and actresses backstage. Orange girls often received monetary tips for their communications services, though it is unclear whether this amounted to pimping. Nell was a popular orange girl and soon began acting on the stage. Female actresses were something new in English theater, but Nell was taught by one of the finest male actors of the time, Charles Hart. She studied dancing with John Lacy. Both men were rumored to be her lovers. Her first recorded appearance onstage took place in 1665, in John Dryden's drama, The Indian Emperor, playing Cydaria, daughter of Montezuma and love interest to Cortez. Realizing her theatrical talents lay elsewhere, Nell later gave up drama for comedy, where her personality could really shine.

Romance between King Charles and Nell began in 1668, when he invited her to supper with several others, including his brother, James, Duke of York. A charming anecdote of the occasion offers a possible glimpse into Nell's considerable humor and charm. At the end of the supper the King discovered he had no money on him, nor did his brother. Nell had to pay the bill. "Od's fish!" she was said to have exclaimed, in an imitation of the King's manner of speaking, "but this is the poorest company I ever was in!" Her humor and likability had great appeal to the King. She remained his mistress and friend for the remainder of his life. One of his deathbed wishes was, "Let not poor Nelly starve," and his brother James paid off most of her debts, gave her a pension of 1,500 pounds a year, and paid off the mortgage on one of her houses. In March 1687, Nell suffered a stroke, followed by a second two months later. She died in November of the same year, three years after the King's death. She was thirty-seven years old. Nell left a good deal of debt, but she also left a legacy to the Newgate prisoners in London. She was buried in the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

Image: Nell Gwyn. Oil on canvas circa 1675, by Sir Peter Lely.