Equestrian portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares by Diego Velázquez. The Equestrian portrait of Count-Duke de Olivares is a painting by Spanish artist Diego Velázquez, finished in 1634. Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez ( June 6, 1599 &ndash August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter who was the leading

In historical writings, when used in reference to a person, favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) means the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. In mediaeval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler. The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western '''Europe''' and its first colonies which spans the three centuries between It is especially a phenomenon of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when government had become too complex for many hereditary rulers with no great interest or talent for it, and political constitutions were still evolving. The period 1600-1660 saw particular successions of all-powerful minister-favourites in much of Europe, particularly in Spain, England, France and Sweden. ^[1]

The term is also sometimes employed by conservative writers who want to avoid terms such as "royal mistress", or "friend", "companion" or "lover" of either sex. A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal Several favourites had or were suspected of having sexual relations with the monarch (or their spouse), but the feelings of the monarch for the favourite covered the full gamut from a simple faith in the favourite's abilities, through various degrees of emotional affection and dependence, to sexual infatuation.

The term has an inbuilt element of disapproval, and is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "One who stands unduly high in the favour of a prince", citing Shakespeare:"Like favourites/ Made proud by Princes". The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English William Shakespeare ( baptised ^[2]

Rises and falls of favourites

The Duke of Buckingham, a classic "mushroom", by Rubens

Favourites inevitably tended to incur the envy and loathing of the rest of the nobility, and monarchs were sometimes obliged by political pressure to dismiss or execute them; in the Middle Ages nobles often rebelled in order to seize and kill a favourite. George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham ( 28 August 1592 &ndash 23 August 1628) (surname ˈvɪlɚz ("villers" was the Favourite Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Too close a relationship between monarch and favourite was seen as a breach of the natural order and hierarchy of society. Since many favourites had flamboyant "over-reaching" personalities, they often led the way to their own downfall with their rash behaviour. As the opinions of the gentry and bourgeoisie grew in importance, they too often strongly disliked favourites. Gentry generally refers to people of high Social class, especially in the past Dislike from all classes could be especially intense in the case of favourites who were elevated from humble, or at least minor, positions by royal favour. Titles and estates were usually given lavishly to favourites, who were compared to mushrooms because they sprang up suddenly overnight, from a bed of excrement. A mushroom is the fleshy Spore -bearing Fruiting body of a Fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source Excretion is the process of eliminating waste products of Metabolism and other non-useful materials The King's favourite Piers Gaveston is a "night-grown mushrump" (mushroom) to his enemies in Christopher Marlowe's Edward II ^[3]

Their falls could be even more sudden, although after about 1650, executions tended to give way to quiet retirement. Piers Gaveston 1st Earl of Cornwall (c 1284 &ndash 19 June, 1312) was the Favourite, and possibly lover of King Edward II of England. Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. Favourites who came from the higher nobility, such as Leicester, Lerma, Olivares, and Oxenstierna, were often less resented and lasted longer. Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester ( 24 June 1532 /1533 &ndash 4 September 1588) was the long standing Favourite of Elizabeth Don Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma ( Seville, 1552/1553 — Valladolid, 1625 the Favourite of Philip Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Count of Olivares and Duke of Sanlúcar (Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel conde-duque de Olivares also known as es ''Conde de Olivares y ( June 16, 1583 &ndash August 28, 1654) Count of Södermöre was a Swedish statesman Successful minister-favourites also usually needed networks of their own favourites and relatives to help them carry out the work of government - Richelieu had his "créatures" and Olivares his "hechuras". This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. ^[4] Oxenstierna and William Cecil, who both died in office, successfully trained their sons to succeed them. Lord Burghley redirects here For other holders of the title see Baron Burghley William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 1520 &ndash

The favourite can often not be easily distinguished from the successful royal administrator, who at the top of the tree certainly needed the favour of the monarch, but the term is generally used of those who first came into contact with the monarch through the social life of the court, rather than the business of politics or administration. Figures like Thomas More, William Cecil and Jean-Baptiste Colbert, whose accelerated rise through the administrative ranks owed much to their personal relations with the monarch, but who did not attempt to behave like grandees of the nobility, were also often successful. Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535 from 1935 Saint Thomas More, was an English Lawyer, author and statesman who in his lifetime gained Jean-Baptiste Colbert ( August 29, 1619 — September 6, 1683) served as the French minister of finance from 1665 to 1683 under Cardinal Wolsey was one figure who rose through the administrative hierarchy, but then lived extremely ostentatiously, before falling suddenly from power. Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (c1470–1471 – November 28 or November 29 1530 who was born in Ipswich Suffolk England was an English Statesman and a cardinal Elizabeth I had William Cecil as chief minister from the time she ascended the throne until his death 40 years later; her more turbulent relationships with several court favourites were a different matter: although many were in her council and had influence, they did not threaten Cecil's position.

In the Middle Ages in particular, many royal favourites were promoted in the church, English examples including Saints Dunstan and Thomas Becket; Bishops William Waynflete, Robert Burnell and Walter Reynolds; as well as Wolsey. Dunstan (c909&ndash 19 May 988) was an Abbot of Glastonbury, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an St Thomas Becket (c 1118 &ndash December 29, 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170 William Waynflete (born William Patten) (c 1398 &ndash 11 August 1486) was Bishop of Winchester from 1447 to 1486 and Lord Chancellor Robert Burnell (died 25 October 1292 was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England in the years 1274&ndash1292 Walter Reynolds (d 1327 was Bishop of Worcester and then Archbishop of Canterbury (1313&ndash1327 as well as Lord High Treasurer and Lord

Some favourites came from very humble backgrounds: Archibald Armstrong, jester to James I of England infuriated everyone else at court but managed to retire a wealthy man, unlike Robert Cochrane, a stonemason (probably a senior one, more like an architect than an artisan) who became Earl of Mar before the Scottish nobles revolted against him, and hanged him and other "low-born" favourites of James III of Scotland. Archibald Armstrong (d March 1672 Court jester, called "Archy" was a native of Scotland or of Cumberland, and according to tradition first A jester, joker, jokester, fool, wit-cracker, prankster, or buffoon is a member of a profession that came into popularity James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James Robert Cochrane lived in the reign of King James III of Scotland. The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of Civilization - creating Buildings structures and Sculpture using stone from the earth An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction An artisan, also called a Craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative including furniture clothing The Mormaer or Earl of Mar was the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe James III (c 1451/1452 &ndash 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488 Olivier le Daim, the barber of Louis XI, acquired a title and important military commands before being executed on vague charges brought by nobles shortly after his master died, without the knowledge of the new king. Olivier le Daim '''le Dain''' (died May 24, 1484) Favourite of Louis XI of France, was born of humble parentage at Thielt near Kortrijk Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle It has been claimed that le Daim's career was the origin of the term, as favori (the French word) first appears around the time of his death in 1484. Privado in Spanish was older, but was later partly replaced by the term valido; in Spanish both terms were less derogatory than in French and English. ^[5]

Such rises from "menial" positions became progressively harder over the second millennium; one of the last families able to jump the widening chasm between servants and nobility was that of Louis XIV's valet, Alexandre Bontemps, whose descendants, holding the office for a further three generations, married into many great families, even eventually including the extended royal family itself. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Alexandre Bontemps (1626 &ndash 1701 was the valet of King Louis XIV and a powerful figure at the court of Versailles, respected and feared for his exceptional access Queen Victoria's John Brown came much too late; the devotion of the monarch and ability to terrorize her household led to hardly any rise in social or economic position. John Brown ( December 8, 1826 – March 27, 1883) was a Scottish personal servant and Favourite of Queen

Decline of the favourite

In England the scope for giving political power to a favourite was reduced by the growing importance of Parliament. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories After the "mushroom" Buckingham was assassinated by John Felton in 1628, Charles I turned to Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who had been a leader of Parliamentary opposition to Buckingham and the King, but had become his supporter after Charles made concessions. John Felton may refer to John Felton (assassin, assassin of George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham John Felton (martyr Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl of Strafford ( April 13, 1593 &ndash May 12, 1641) was an English statesman and a major figure in Strafford can therefore hardly be called a favourite in the usual sense, even though his relationship with Charles became very close. He was also from a well-established family, with powerful relations. After several years in power, Strafford was impeached by a Parliament now very hostile to him. Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official When this process failed, they passed a bill of attainder for his execution without trial, and put enough pressure on Charles that, to his subsequent regret, he signed it, and Strafford was executed in 1641. A bill of attainder (also known as an act or writ of Attainder) is an act of Legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of There were later minister-favourites in England, but they knew that the favour of the monarch alone was not sufficient to rule, and most also had careers in Parliament.

In France the movement was in the opposite direction. On the death of Cardinal Mazarin in 1661, the 23-year-old Louis XIV determined that he would rule himself, and not allow the delegation of power to ministers that had marked the previous 40 years. Jules Mazarin, born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino ( July 14 1602 &ndash March 9 1661) was an accomplished French statesman The absolute monarchy pioneered by Cardinal Richelieu, Mazarin's predecessor, was to be led by the monarch himself. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. Louis had many powerful ministers, notably Colbert heading the Finances, and Louvois the Armies, but overall direction was never delegated, and no subsequent French minister ever equalled the power of the two Cardinals. François Michel le Tellier Marquis de Louvois (18 January 1641 – 16 July 1691 was the French Secretary of State for War for a significant part of the reign of

The Spanish Habsburgs were not capable of so much energy, but when Olivares was succeeded by his nephew Luis de Haro, the last real valido, the control of government into a single pair of hands was already weakened. Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries (1516-1700 when this country was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty (also associated to Luis Menéndez de Haro y Sotomayor, 6th marquis of Carpio 3rd Duke of Olivares ( Valladolid, 1598 - Madrid, November 26 1661) was a Spanish

Favourites in literature

Prince Grigori Potemkin

Favourites were the subject of much contemporary debate, some of it involving a certain amount of danger for the participants. There were a large number of English plays on the subject, amongst the best known being Marlowe's Edward II, in which Piers Gaveston is a leading character, and Sejanus His Fall (1603), for which Ben Jonson was called before the Privy Council, accused of "Popery and treason", as the play was claimed by his enemies to contain allusions to the contemporary court of James I of England. Sejanus His Fall, a 1603 play by Ben Jonson, is a Tragedy about Lucius Aelius Seianus, the favorite of the Roman emperor Tiberius. Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist A privy council is a body that advises the Head of state of a nation on how to exercise their executive authority, typically but not always in the context of a James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James Sejanus, whose career under Tiberius was vividly described by Tacitus, was the subject of numerous works all around Europe. Lucius Aelius Seianus (20 BC &ndash October 18 31 AD commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. ^[6] Shakespeare was more cautious, and with the exceptions of Falstaff, badly disappointed in his hopes of becoming a favourite, and Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII, he gives no major parts to favourites. William Shakespeare ( baptised Sir John Falstaff is a Fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal the future King Henry V. The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth is a history play by William Shakespeare, based on the life of Henry VIII of England. ^[7]

Francis Bacon, almost a favourite himself, devoted much of his essay On Friendship to the subject, no doubt writing with some care as a rising politician under Elizabeth I:

"It is a strange thing to observe, how high a rate great kings and monarchs do set upon this fruit of friendship, whereof we speak: so great, as they purchase it, many times, at the hazard of their own safety and greatness. Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban KC QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626 was an English Philosopher, Statesman, and author An essay is usually a short piece of writing It is often written from an author's personal point of view. For princes, in regard of the distance of their fortune from that of their subjects and servants, cannot gather this fruit, except (to make themselves capable thereof) they raise some persons to be, as it were, companions and almost equals to themselves, which many times sorteth to inconvenience. The modern languages give unto such persons the name of favorites, or privadoes [a Spanish term] . . . . And we see plainly that this hath been done, not by weak and passionate princes only, but by the wisest and most politic that ever reigned; who have oftentimes joined to themselves some of their servants; whom both themselves have called friends, and allowed other likewise to call them in the same manner; using the word which is received between private men. "^[8]

Writing of George III's old tutor, the Earl of Bute, who became Prime Minister, Macaulay wrote in 1844: "He was a favourite; and favourites have always been odious in this country. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places John Stuart 3rd Earl of Bute, KG, PC (25 May 1713 &ndash 10 March 1792 styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723 was a Scottish nobleman This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. No mere favourite had been at the head of the government since the dagger of Felton had reached the heart of the Duke of Buckingham". ^[9]

Some famous favourites

The execution of Hugh, the younger Despenser, from a manuscript of Froissart. Jean Froissart (c 1337 &ndash c 1405 was one of the most important of the Chroniclers of Medieval France.

• Biblical characters with many elements of the favourite are David (of Saul) and Joseph (of Pharoah). David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Joseph or Yosef (יוֹסֵ Standard Yosef Tiberian Yôsēp̄, يوسف Yusuf; "He
• Jiru, favorite of Gaozu of Han in China (2nd century BC)
• Sejanus, favourite of Tiberius, who executed him in 31. Jiru was a trusted personal servant of Gaozu of Han, the founder of China's Han Dynasty. Early life Liú Bāng was born into a lower class farming family in Pei (present Pei County in Jiangsu Province) Lucius Aelius Seianus (20 BC &ndash October 18 31 AD commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman
• Cleander, freedman favourite of Commodus, who executed him in 190. Marcus Aurelius Cleander, commonly known as Cleander (?&ndash190 was a Roman Freedman who gained extraordinary power as chamberlain and A freedman is a former slave who has been manumitted or emancipated. Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus ( August 31, 161 – December 31, 192) was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 (also with
• Ibn Ammar came to the attention of the Muslim ruler of the taifa of Seville through his poetry and skill at chess, but tried to seize part of the kingdom for himself, and was strangled personally by his monarch in 1086. Ibn Ammar (c 1031 &ndash c 1086 was a Iberian Muslim poet from Silves (however Estômbar, at that time part of the Silves district claims A taifa (from طائفة ṭā'ifa, plural طوائف ṭawā'if) in the history of Iberia was an independent Muslim -ruled principality Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players.
• Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, possibly the lover of Edward II of England, was given high office, including being Regent when Edward went abroad, but was executed after capture by rebels in 1312. Piers Gaveston 1st Earl of Cornwall (c 1284 &ndash 19 June, 1312) was the Favourite, and possibly lover of King Edward II of England. For the play see Edward II (play. For the film see Edward II (film. A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is a person selected to act as Head of state (ruling or not because the ruler is a minor
• Hugh the younger Despenser, also possibly the lover of Edward II, was captured and killed in a rebellion led by Edward's Queen in 1326. Hugh Despenser 1st Lord Despenser (1286 &ndash 24 November 1326, sometimes referred to as " the younger Despenser " was the son and heir of Isabella of France (c 1295 &ndash August 22, 1358) known as the She-Wolf of France, was the Queen consort of Edward II of
• Álvaro de Luna executed in 1390 after pressure from the nobility of Castile
• Robert Cochrane, favourite of James III of Scotland, taken by a cabal of nobles led by Archibald "Bell the Cat" Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus and hanged along with his confederates from Lauder bridge. Álvaro de Luna y Jarana (b between 1388 and 1390 died June 2, 1453) Constable of Castile, Grand Master of the Military order Robert Cochrane lived in the reign of King James III of Scotland. James III (c 1451/1452 &ndash 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488 The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders council area.
• Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester favourite of Elizabeth I of England for 30 years, although never her chief minister. Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester ( 24 June 1532 /1533 &ndash 4 September 1588) was the long standing Favourite of Elizabeth He was succeeded by his rasher stepson Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex who was executed in 1601 after an abortive coup. Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex ( 10 November 1566 &ndash 25 February 1601) a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England
• "Les Mignons" ("the Darlings"), a group of favourites of Henry III of France
• Francisco Goméz de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma, died 1625, the first "valido", a semi-official title for Spanish favourites. Les Mignons (from mignon, French for "the darlings" or "the dainty ones" was a term used by polemicists in the toxic atmosphere of the French Henry III of France (Henri III Henryk ( September 19 1551 – August 2, 1589) Don Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma ( Seville, 1552/1553 — Valladolid, 1625 the Favourite of Philip Ran Spain for 20 years before falling from favour and being replaced by Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares who ran Spain for a further 20 years. Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Count of Olivares and Duke of Sanlúcar (Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel conde-duque de Olivares also known as es ''Conde de Olivares y
• Charles de Luynes in France, the mignon of Louis XIII, arranged the murder of the Queen Mother's favourite Concino Concini in 1617. Charles d'Albert duc de Luynes ( August 5, 1578 - December 15, 1621) was Constable of France and the first Duke of Luynes Les Mignons (from mignon, French for "the darlings" or "the dainty ones" was a term used by polemicists in the toxic atmosphere of the French For the cognac see Louis XIII de Rémy Martin. Louis XIII ( September 27, 1601 – May 14, 1643) Concino Concini Count della Penna Marquis and Maréchal d'Ancre (Florence 1575 - Paris 24 April 1617 was an Italian politician best known for being a minister of Concini owed his favour to his wife's close relationship with Marie de' Medici. Marie de' Medici ( April 26, 1575 &ndash July 3, 1642) was Queen consort of France.
• George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, assassinated in 1628, was favourite to both James I and his son Charles I of England. George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham ( 28 August 1592 &ndash 23 August 1628) (surname ˈvɪlɚz ("villers" was the Favourite James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution.
• Axel Oxenstierna ran the government of Sweden, very successfully, for over 40 years until his death in 1654, when his son took over. ( June 16, 1583 &ndash August 28, 1654) Count of Södermöre was a Swedish statesman "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.
• Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis of Cinq-Mars in France, executed in 1642 after leading a conspiracy against his rival and patron Cardinal Richelieu, who governed France for 18 years. Henri Coiffier de Ruzé Marquis de Cinq-Mars (1620 &ndash September 12, 1642) was a Favourite of King Louis XIII of France This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov.
• Cardinal Mazarin, governed France for almost 20 years until his death in 1661; Louis XIV's public decision that he would thence forward "govern alone" marked the end of the golden age of the favourite. Jules Mazarin, born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino ( July 14 1602 &ndash March 9 1661) was an accomplished French statesman Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent
• Corfitz Ulfeldt became son-in-law to Christian IV of Denmark before trying to kill him, and then defecting to Swedish service. Christian IV ( 12 April, 1577 &ndash 28 February, 1648) was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1588 until his death
• Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, a transitional figure as a protegé of Charles II of England who also had a successful career in Parliament. Sidney Godolphin first Earl of Godolphin (c 1645 &ndash September 15, 1712) was a leading British politician of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those
• Marie-Anne de la Trémoille, princesse des Ursins (died 1722) through force of character enjoyed extraordinary power successively in the courts of France, Spain and the English Jacobite exiles. Marie-Anne de la Trémoille Princesse des Ursins (1642 &ndash December 5, 1722) lady of the Spanish court was the daughter of the Duc de Noirmoutier Jacobitism was (and to a limited extent remains the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland
• Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, domineering friend of Queen Anne of Great Britain, eventually supplanted by her cousin Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. Sarah Churchill ( née Jenyns spelt Jennings in most modern references Duchess of Marlborough (5 June 1660 (old style &ndash 18 October 1744 Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 succeeding William III of England and II of Abigail Masham, née Hill, Baroness Masham ( c 1670 &ndash December 6, 1734) was a Favourite
• Johann Friedrich Struensee in Denmark, the royal doctor, who ran the government of the schizophrenic Christian VII whilst having an affair with the the Queen, before being executed in 1772. Count Johann Friedrich von Struensee ( August 5, 1737 - April 28, 1772) was a German doctor born in Halle. Christian VII ( January 29, 1749 - March 13, 1808) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his Princess Caroline Matilda (Caroline Mathilde 11 July 1751 – 10 May 1775) was a princess of Great Britain and Ireland
• Heshen, who amassed an enormous fortune during the latter part of the reign of Chinese emperor Qianlong. Heshen ( ( 1750 - February 22, 1799) from the Manchu Niohuru clan was a Manchu official of Emperor Qianlong (Chinese 乾隆 Qiánlóng, Wade-Giles' Ch'ien-Lung', Mongolian Tengeriig Tetgesen Khaan, born Hongli (弘历 September
• Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin (died 1791) was the lover of the Empress Catherine II of Russia for two years, but continued to have enormous power in the government for a further fifteen. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years
• Marie-Louise, princesse de Lamballe (died 1792) was the dear friend of Marie-Antoinette and stayed faithful to her until the very moment of her gory and tragic death. Princess Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy-Carignan princesse de Lamballe ( September 8, 1749 &ndash September 3, 1792) was an Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/
• Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac (died 1793) was the favorite of the last queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, and one of the few women that King Louis XVI liked and trusted. Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron duchesse de Polignac ( 8 September 1749 &ndash 9 December 1793) was a French aristocrat Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/ Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre
• Manuel de Godoy, whose unpopularity led, along with Napoleon's dynastic ambitions, to the abdication of Charles IV of Spain in 1808, after which Godoy spent over 40 years in exile. Don Manuel Francisco Domingo de Godoy (di Bassano y Alvarez de Faria de los Ríos y Sánchez-Zarzosa, also Manuel de Godoy y Alvarez de Faria de los Ríos Sánchez Zarzosa Charles IV ( November 11, 1748 - January 20, 1819) was King of Spain from December 14, 1788 until his abdication
• Grigori Rasputin, Mystic favourite of the last Royal Family of Russia, murdered in 1916

Mistresses

Main article: Royal mistress

Main article: Mistress (lover)

• Hong Yu, favourite of Emperor Hui of Han
• Margaret Erskine, mistress of James V of Scotland and mother of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray
• Louise de La Vallière, mistress of Louis XIV of France, succeeded by Madame de Montespan
• Madame de Maintenon refused to become the mistress of Louis XIV, and became his second, morganatic wife. A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. Generally the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal A mistress is a man's long term female Sexual partner and companion who is not married to him especially used when the man is married to another woman Hong Yu was the favorite companion of the Chinese emperor Hui of Han. Early life and years as crown prince How Liu Ying's childhood was like is not completely clear Lady Margaret Erskine (died 5 May 1572) was a mistress of King James V of Scotland. James V (10 April 1512 &ndash 14 December 1542 was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death James Stewart 1st Earl of Moray (c 1531 &ndash January 23, 1570) was Regent of Scotland from 1567 until his Assassination in 1570 Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière ( August 6 1644 &ndash June 7 1710) was the mistress to Louis XIV of France Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart marquise de Montespan ( October 5, 1641 &ndash May 27, 1707) better known as Françoise d'Aubigné Scarron Marquise de Maintenon ( November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719) was the Morganatic second wife of King A morganatic marriage is a type of Marriage which can be contracted in certain countries usually between people of unequal Social rank, which prevents the passage
• Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France
• Madame du Barry, later lover of Louis XV of France, guillotined during the French Revolution

See also

• Cardinal-nephew

Notes

References

J. H. Elliott and LWB Brockliss, eds, The World of the Favourite,1999, Yale UP, ISBN0300076444