The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned,

Hampton Court Palace
5 April - 30 September

An exhibition about beauty, mistresses and debauchery at the Stuart Court.

At the heart of the exhibition will be portraits of Charles II’s principal mistresses, including Nell Gwyn and Barbara Villiers, brought together at the palace for the first time.

Also on display are the resident ‘beautiful women’ of the Royal Court.

The exhibition explores the story of how kings, queens and courtesans swept away the Puritanical solemnity of the mid-17th century, and attempted to rewrite the moral code of social behaviour.