Arabella Churchill

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Arabella Churchill
Portrait painting of Sir Peter Lely with her brother Winston

Arabella Churchill (born February 23, 1648 , † May 30, 1730 in London ) was a mistress of King James II of England and the mother of four of his children.

Life

Arabella was a daughter of the English statesman and historian Sir Winston Churchill (1620–1688) and his wife Elisabeth Drake († 1690) and the older sister of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough .

Her relationship with Prince Jacob, then Duke of York, began in 1665 when he was still married to Anne Hyde . Arabella, who had previously come to the English court as the lady-in-waiting of Queen Henrietta Maria , was appointed lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of York and had two children by Jakob while Anne was still alive. After having two more children, she married Charles Godfrey († 1714) after 1674 and had three more children with him. Her husband participated in 1688 as a colonel of his own cuirassier regiment in the Glorious Revolution and thus in the overthrow of King Jacob II, and then made at the court of Wilhelm III. and Anne's career.

Arabella Churchill died in London on May 30, 1730 and was buried in Westminster Abbey .

children

The liaison with Jacob had four children:

The children from the marriage with Charles Godfrey:

  • Elizabeth Godfrey, Edmund Dunch (1657-1719);
  • Charlotte Godfrey (* before 1685), ⚭ Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth (around 1680–1734);
  • Francis Godfrey.

Literature and web links

personal data
SURNAME Churchill, Arabella
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Mistress of the English King James II.
DATE OF BIRTH February 23, 1648
DATE OF DEATH May 30, 1730
Place of death London