Charles Rex Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Members of Family Currently Played Charles Stuart, King of England, Ireland, Scotland, and France [NPC] Karoline Stuart, Queen of England and Raugräfin von der Pfalz [NPC] James Stuart, Duke of York [NPC] Mary Beatrice Stuart, Duchess of York [NPC] Princess Mary Stuart, daughter of the Duke of York [NPC] Rupert von der Pfalz, Duke of Cumberland [NPC] Mary Villiers-Herbert-Stuart-(Howard), Dowager Duchess of Richmond & Lennox [NPC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Charles Stuart Title: King of England, Ireland, Scotland, and France Age: 47 (29 May 1630) Gender: Male Eye color: Brown Hair Color: Dark brown, now periwigs Marital Status: Married Physical Attributes Known as the ''Dark Boy'' in his youth, Charles had a swarthy colouring that was probably the effect of the ''De Medici'' blood in his family tree. He was literally a giant among men, standing at 6'4". While not always taking great care with his appearance, the King favoured well made shoes, specially made to fit his size. A sportive man, he was well trained for his age, still taking a stroll every morning at 5 AM, and regularly engaging in sports like swimming, fencing and riding. His hair is cropped and grey, but he mostly wears a dark periwig that is reminiscent of the natural locks he had when younger. At 45 his face showed some of the effects of earlier debauchery with growing lines. Initial Impression of Personality The King was known as an affable charming man, the ''Merry King.'' Taught the old cavalier ways by his mother, he was ever the gallant towards ladies. Having been raised in a court where ladies were referred (in contrast to the period under James I) he also took their advice and words seriously, and liked to surround himself with all manner of women. The King is well known for his appreciation for wit and lively ladies. His ability to seduce nearly every lady not just an effect of his status, but also his considerable charm, his well practised techniques and the fact that as Rochester put it "His scepter and his rod are of a length". It was a public secret that the King had trouble saying "no" to women and spoiled them outragously. Known to those people that had frequent dealings with the King was the fact he was a natural dissembler. He could lie with a straight face, adapt at pleasing everybody without acting upon his words and was known to be very calculating indeed. John Evelyn described him as "a prince of many virtues and many great imperfections, debonair, easy of access, not bloody or cruel"." There are several poems by the Earl of Rochester describing Charles Rex, of which the most famous is: :''We have a pretty, witty king,'' :''Whose promise none relies on;'' :''Who never said a foolish thing,'' :''Nor ever did a wise one.'' To which Charles is reputed to have replied: :''"That is true; for my words are my own, but my actions are those of my ministers." Background Charles, the son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, was born in 1630. As Prince of Wales during the Civil War Charles was placed in charge of the west of England and took part in the Battle of Edgehill in 1642. After the defeat of the Royalist forces Charles went into exile, with the aid of the brave Jane Fisher, to the Isles of Scilly. Later he lived in Jersey and France. In 1649 Charles was proclaimed king of Scotland. He arrived in Edinburgh but after military defeats at Dunbar and Worcester, he was forced to flee to France. On 3 September 1658, Oliver Cromwell died. In May 1659, the generals forced Richard to retire from government.Parliament and the leaders of the army now began arguing amongst themselves about how England should be ruled. General George Monck, the officer in charge of the English army based in Scotland, decided to take action, and in 1660 he marched his army to London. Eventually Charles was invited back as King. Parliament raised nearly £1 million and with this money soldiers in the army were paid off and sent home. At the same time Charles was granted permission to form two permanent regiments for himself, the Royal Scots and the Coldstream Guards. In 1662 Charles married Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of the King of Portugal. This failed to produce an heir but through his affairs with among others Nell Gwyn, Barbara Villiers, the Duchess of Cleveland and Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, he fathered several children. There were two possible candidates to become king when Charles died; James Stuart, his younger brother and James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, his eldest illegitimate son. At this moment in the game (as opposed to historic reality) Queen Catherine has died by the hand of an assassin at Christmas of 1675, and the King, while still in half mourning is looking for a new wife. Children Charles had no legal issue yet in 1677. However he had a growing number of illegitimate, or natural, children from his various mistresses. He paid for the upkeep of all his acknowledged children, giving them dowries and positions, and generally acted as a loving father. * James de la Cloche (b.1646-d.1667) by Margaret de Carteret * James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (b.1649) * Charlotte Jemima Henrietta Maria FitzCharles (b.1650) by Elizabeth Killigrew * Charles FitzCharles (b.1657-d.1676) Earl of Plymouth, by Catherine Pegge * Catherine FitzCharles (b.1658) by Catherine Pegge * Anne Palmer, now Anne Lennard, (b.1661)Countess of Sussex, by Barbara Villiers * Charles Fitzroy (b.1662) Duke of Southampton, by Barbara Villiers * Henry Fitzroy (b.1663) Earl of Euston by Barbara Villiers * Charlotte Fitzroy (b.1664), by Barbara Villiers * George Fitzroy (b.1665) by Barbara Villiers * Charles Beauclerk (b.1670) by Eleanor Gwynn * James Beauclerk (b.1671) by Eleanor Gwynn * Charles Lennox (b.1672) Duke of Richmond in England and Duke of Lennox in Scotland by Louise de Kérouaille * Mary Tudor (b.1673) by Mary 'Moll' Davis * Nessia Mairi MacGregor (b. 1676) by Catriona MacGregor, Countess Alyth Residence When in London, the King resides in his King's Apartment in Whitehall Palace. When in Windsor, he resides in Windsor Castle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 James Stuart Title: Royal Prince, Duke of York, Heir Presumptive to the throne Age:43 (b. 14 October 1633) Gender: Male Eye Color: Hazel (green-brown) Hair Color: Sandy, showing grey (periwigs) Marital Status: Married Physical Attributes Neither as swarthy nor as tall as his older brother King [[Charles II]], James nonetheless was not considered plain, cutting quite a figure in an uniform. He wore both brown and blond periwigs. By 1675 his hair was turning grey. His physique is well trained through daily rides on his horse. His hobbies include sailing and gambling on horses. Initial Impression of Personality James displays a zealous piety which contemporaries fear may one day become his undoing. His Catholic faith did indeed throw him out of office when the Test Act was implemented in 1673 and he had to step down as Lord High Admiral. James is known to be stubborn and strangely attracted to plain women. Like his brother he makes great sport of seducing women, and has somewhat of a reputation of ogling women, as noted by his employee Pepys in his diary that he "did eye my wife mightily.". In general James is considered less shrewd and less charming than the King, very blunt, and more desirous of the regard due his royalty. James is known to be an active and loving parent, taking a great interest in his children, including his two protestant daughters, causing Samuel Pepys to write that he played with them "like an ordinary father." This in contrast to what was the standard in European royal families, though his brother took a similar interest in his offspring. Background James, the second surviving son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria Stuart of France, was born at St. James's Palace on 14 October 1633. James was educated by tutors, along with his brother, the future King Charles II, and the two sons of the Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers and Francis Villiers. James was invested with the Order of the Garter in 1642, and created Duke of York in 1644. As the King's disputes with the English Parliament grew into the English Civil War James stayed in Oxford, a Royalist stronghold. When the city surrendered after the siege of Oxford in 1646, Parliamentary leaders ordered the Duke of York to be confined in St. James's Palace. In 1648, he escaped from the Palace and from there he went to The Hague in disguise. Like his brother, James sought refuge in France, serving in the French army under Turenne against the Fronde, and later against their Spanish allies. In 1656, when his brother, Charles, entered into an alliance with Spain—an enemy of France—James was expelled from France and forced to leave Turenne's army. James quarrelled with his brother over the diplomatic choice of Spain over France. Exiled and poor, there was little that either Charles or James could do about the larger diplomatic situation, and James ultimately travelled to Bruges and (along with his younger brother, Henry) joined the Spanish army under Louis, Prince of Condé, fighting against his former French comrades at the Battle of the Dunes. During his term of service in the Spanish army, James became friendly with two Irish Catholic brothers in the Royalist entourage, Peter and Richard Talbot, and began to be somewhat estranged from his brother's Anglican advisers. In 1659, the French and Spanish made peace. James, doubtful of his brother's chances of regaining the throne, considered taking a Spanish offer to be an admiral in their navy. Upon his brother's restoration, James was created Duke of Albany in Scotland, to go along with his English title, Duke of York. He was made Knight of the Garter in 1661. Amongst great controversy James married the commoner Anne Hyde in 1660 after promising to wed her as part of his seduction. With her he had several children but only two daughters, Mary Stuart and Anne Stuart, survive by 1675. His wife died in 1671 and he swiftly proceeded to marry the Catholic Mary of Modena. After the Restoration, James was confirmed as Lord High Admiral, an office that carried with it the subsidiary appointments of Governor of Portsmouth and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. James commanded the Royal Navy during the Second (1665–1667) and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars (1672–1674). Following the raid on the Medway in 1667, James oversaw the survey and re-fortification of the southern coast. The office of Lord High Admiral, combined with his revenue from post office and wine tariffs (granted him by Charles upon his restoration) gave James a sufficient salary to keep a sizeable court household. He was forced to step down as Lord High Admiral, a position then taken by Rupert of the Rhine|Prince Rupert, Duke of Cumberland, his first cousin. Children Mary Stuart Anne Stuart infant (sb. 1674) Catherine Laura (b. 10 Jan 1675, d. 3 Oct 1675) infant (sb. Oct 1675) Isabella, born on August 18, 1676. Residence When in London, James resides in Whitehall, in the Prince's Lodgings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defiance Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Mary Stuart Title: Princess | Lady (courtesy) Age: 15 (b. 30 April 1662) Gender: Female Eye Colour: Brown Hair Colour: Brown Marital status: Single, engaged Physical Attributes Mary has the classical Stuart look of brown locks and brown eyes, but in her bearing one sees her mother Anne Hyde in her. She is blessed with a porcelain skin unlike her uncle who has a more swarthy complexion. Mary is just coming into her maturity, the baby fat of childhood melting from her, leaving her with the makings of a fine form. Initial Impression of Personality Mary is a bit of a tomboy, displaying some of the insecurities and frustrations of a teenager. She likes to hang around with her newest lady in waiting, [[Elisabeth Killington]] and has a tendency for mischief. Mary possesses a strong, almost biting wit that some might enjoy. Background Mary, born at St. James Palace in London on 30 April 1662, was the eldest daughter of James Stuart, Duke of York, and of his first wife, Lady Anne Hyde. Mary's uncle was Charles II; her maternal grandfather, Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, served for a lengthy period as Charles's chief advisor. Although her mother bore eight children, only Mary and her younger sister Anne Stuart survived into adulthood. The Duke of York converted to Roman Catholicism in 1668 or 1669, but Mary and Anne had a Protestant upbringing, pursuant to the command of Charles II. Mary's mother died in 1671; her father married again in 1673, taking as his second wife the Catholic Mary of Modena. Mary currently is second in line to the throne as heir of her father, but only as long no male issue is born. She was introduced into adult Court circles in September 1675. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Mary of Modena Mary Beatrice Eleanora Anne Margaret Isabella Stuart (nee d'Este, also known as of Modena) Nationality: English/Italian Title: Princess (by courtesy) Duchess of York Age:18 (b. 5 October 1658) Gender:Female Eye Colour:'Brown Hair Colour: Black Marital Status:Married 'Circles:'Proper Society London: Whitehall Physical Attributes Unlike the many plain mistresses of James Stuart, Mary was a known beauty. '“Tall and admirably shaped; her complexion was of the last degree of fairness, her hair black as jet; so were her eyebrows and her eyes, but the latter so full of light and sweetness, as they did dazzle and charm too…” (Hopkirk, 13) Initial Impression of Personality Mary is a Roman Catholic and not much loved by the populace. However she is diplomatically polite and correct at all times, a very proper lady. Background She had a strict Roman Catholic upbringing, and thought briefly of becoming an abbess in an order of nuns founded by her mother. At the age of fourteen, she was the candidate favoured by Louis XIV to provide a suitable Roman Catholic bride for James Stuart, Duke of York. The dynastic considerations demanded a son, however, things are not going well in that regard. Offspring * infant (sb. 1674) * Catherine Laura (b. 10 Jan 1675, d. 3 Oct 1675) * infant (sb. Oct 1675) * Isabella, born on August 18, 1676. See Also * [http://www.kipar.org/period-galleries/paintings/1680/mary_mod_2.jpg Additional portrait] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Karoline Stuart Nationality:German Title:Queen of England & Raugrafin Von der Pfalz Age: 17 (b. 19 Nov 1659) Gender: Female Eye Colour: Brown Hair Colour:'Dark Brown Marital Status: Married Physical Attributes/First impression Karoline’s dark brown locks are worn drawn back into into a plaited coiffure. She is pleasant looking, though not a beauty she radiates an attractive confidence in her bearing and intellect. She is well studied, with an interest in business within politics. Karoline is most willing to quest to the deeper subjects rather than waste her time in superficial pleasantries. Karoline stands 5'6", Background Daughter of Charles Louis and his second wife Marie Luise von Degenfeld. Niece to Prince Rupert. In the fall of 1676 married King Charles II and become Queen Karoline. Interests Interested in trade and finance, Karoline is interested in the rerouting of traffic to increase ease of flows to and from the port, and has discussed the matter at length with Lord Mulgrave. She has a visibility in Charity work that is maintained by [[James Winchester]], in his official Capacity of Minister of the Queens Charities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Rupert of the Rhine Full Name: Rupert von der Pfalz or Rupert of the Rhine 'Nationality:German/English Title: Prince (by birth) Duke of Cumberland Age:57 (b. 17 December 1619) Gender:Male Eye Colour:Brown Hair Colour:Brown Marital Status:Single, living in Common Law Marriage with actress Peg Hughes Circles: Science, Military London:Whitehall Physical Attributes As tall as his cousin with 6'4; of height, in his youth thought of quite dashing. Initial Impression of Personality He likes collecting arms, and is an amateur artist and scientist/inventor. He is more of a soldier than a politician, always quarreling with political advisors. Background Rupert was born in Prague in 1619 at the time of the Thirty Years' War. Soon after his birth, the family fled from Bohemia to United Provinces, where Rupert spent his childhood. However difficult his childhood may have been, Rupert was exceptional in learning all the major European languages and excelled in art, mathematics, and warfare. At an early age he took to soldiering. At the age of fourteen, he fought alongside the Protestant Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, at the siege of Rheinberg, in 1633, and at Breda, in 1638, in the Eighty Years' War, in the Netherlands against Spain. In the Thirty Years' War, aged 19, Rupert fought for the alliance of Protestants and France, at the Battle of Vlotho (17 October 1638) during the invasion of Westphalia. He was captured by the forces of the Imperial General Hatzfeld, and imprisoned in Linz, Austria, where he studied military textbooks. He was released on parole in 1641, on the condition that he never bear arms against the Holy Roman Empire again. In 1642, aged 23, Rupert was appointed by Charles I to lead the Royalist cavalry during the English Civil War, and he largely deserves the credit for their early successes. His dashing reputation earned him the nickname of the Mad Cavalier. He reputedly took a large poodle dog, named Boye, into battle with him on several occasions. Throughout the Civil War the soldiers of Parliament feared this dog, claiming it had supernatural powers. At the end of the war, the dog was shot, allegedly with a silver bullet. He was made Knight of the Garter in 1645 For some time after this, Rupert commanded the troops formed of English exiles in the French army, and received a wound at Marshal de Gassion's siege of La Bassée, in 1647. Then, following a degree of reconciliation with Charles, he obtained command of a Royalist fleet. A long and unprofitable naval campaign followed, which extended from Kinsale to Lisbon and from Toulon to Cape Verde. However, following a naval defeat by Admiral Robert Blake, Rupert took refuge in the West Indies. There he followed the life of a buccaneer, preying on English shipping. It was during this time period that his beloved brother Maurice, who captained one of the ships in Rupert's small flotilla, was killed. But the prince again quarreled with the Royalist advisers, and spent six obscure years (1654 to 1660) in Germany and the Netherlands, vainly attempting (as also before and afterwards) to obtain his rightful apanage as a younger son from his brother Charles-Louis, Elector Palatine. Following the Restoration, Rupert came to England, accepting a position on Charles II's Privy Council and serving as an Admiral of the Royal Navy in the second and third Anglo-Dutch Wars. He also became the Governor of the Hundson's Bay Company, in 1670. In 1673, he became to Lord High Admiral, following the Duke of York's resignation. Rupert developed an enthusiasm for printmaking, using a process known as ''mezzotint'' engraving, and he brought a machine to England for the purpose. He seems to have invented something called the 'rocker' that improved the process. He has not married, but lives with a Drury Lane actress named Margaret (Peg) Hughes]. They have a little girl, Ruperta, together, and he has an illegitimate son as well, from an earlier liaison, named Dudley. Residence His primary residence is in Private Chambers of Prince Rupert|the Round Tower of Windsor Castle. When in London, he resides in the Duke of Cumberland's Suite in Whitehall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Rex Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Mary Villiers-Herbert-Stuart-(Howard) (AKA Mall) Nationality:English Title:Dowager Duchess of Richmond & Lennox Age: 54 (b.1622) Gender: Female (genderbends often) Eye Colour Blue Hair Colour: Light auburn Marital Status: Married - Somewhat clandestinely. Circles: Libertine, Arts London: She lives on Saint James Other: Physical Attributes All her years, Mall was an incomparable beauty, sought after by the most daring, powerful, and beautiful gentlemen of the age. She has the Villiers height and blue eyes but not the blond hair, unlike her brother, George. Though she is in her mid-fifties, Mall appears stuck in her forties, with laugh lines and greying hair that she likes to keep covered with a periwig. She is known to sport breeches and flared frocks which hint at the silhouette of skirts, and she is often found wearing a sword, not giving a fig what any man thinks about it. She is one of few who can roam the proper and libertine circles. Initial Impression of Personality Also raised with [[Charles II]] the duchess is known to be rather honest the King especially in her poetry where CR features as 'Clovis.' Like her brother, Buckingham, Mall is witty, good-humoured, good-natured, and generous. She is unapologetic about her more masculine mind and pursuits and can hold ground in any discourse with any man. Background Mall was brought up by Charles Stuart Sr|King Charles I, together with her younger brothers, Francis and George, and the King's own children, after the assassination of her father, the first Duke of Buckingham. From the moment of her birth, Mall was spoiled and raised in the heat of court. While all his life King James seems to have hated children, when Mall was born to his dear Steenie, he seems to have experienced a complete reversal. Mall and the young children of the first Buckingham's relations were reported, to the consternation of some courtiers, as running about the royal household in every nook and cranny. Mall herself was carried about and doted on by King James and her father, so it is unsurprising that the first negotiation for her marriage was with Prince Frederick-Henry of the Palatinate. Poor little Frederick was the first of the unfortunate men in Mall's life because he drowned before anything could come to fruition. Mall was next betrothed to the most strapping and wealthy young heir in England, Charles Herbert, heir to the earldoms and Pembroke and Montgomery. She was married at age twelve and widowed within the first year. She earned the nickname "Butterfly"; from the young Charles II upon her return to court where she climbed a tree and her skirts were mistaken at a distance for wings. She was nearly shot down by the prince's groom and instead was put in a basket and delivered to him where she jumped into his lap as his exotic quarry. From this moment on, she was forever in the heart of the young Charles. That was not the only heart she stole, for shortly thereafter on a visit to his uncle, Prince Rupert developed an affection for the pretty girl. A marriage might have been arranged for them if the dashing prince was not homeless and dependent upon his uncle and other relations. While Rupert was off fighting on the continent as a young teen, Mall was then married to his cousin and best friend in England, James Stuart, Duke of Lennox. Mall became a royal duchess just in time to enjoy her life for a few start years before the troubles of the coming Civil War began. Her husband gave her two children before he died. She spent much of the interregnum imprisoned or spying for the Sealed Knot, but eventually was allowed to leave and joined the Queen Mother's household in France. The restoration brought her home and court saw a flurry of her poems and songs, but the coming years did not bring her happiness. First her son Esme died only a year after learning what it was to live life as a proper little duke. Before the decade was over her daughter was dead too. Wounded beyond repair by a very tragic life, one might have thought Mall would attempt suicide as her mother had done, but she instead secretly married the much younger, dashing, libertine Colonel Thomas Howard. This act alienated her from her brother and infuriated him, opening it up for the child of a nobody to eventually inherit his titles and for her to lose all her precedence at court. She would have too if it was not the best kept court secret that was not a secret, but while giving the blessing on the covert Catholic union, Charles II acted like the marriage never existed. As he carried on having her announced as a royal duchess, so too did everyone else. Mall is currently still married, and she and her brother are still on tenuous ground, sometimes close, sometimes avoiding each other. Ironically enough it is the family she was raised with and married into that she is the closest with currently. The Dowager Duchess is known in the Libertine circle as the poetess "Ephelia" and one of the most popular Restoration poets. She is a patron and protector of women and encourages them in their challenges of men in wit. She has fought others with the quill and the sword, and is known for a woman on woman, romantic-rival duel. It is said she is nearly as good with a sword as her brother, George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.