Nell Gwynne was the mistress of Charles II and for many people, that is all she was known for – other than for selling oranges! The real Nell Gwynne is a victory for English womanhood, showing great courage against the background of the bloodiest civil war in English history and the poverty that followed for many of the population. Against all the odds Nell became a star of the London stage and the greatest comic actress of her day, and won the hearts of theatregoers and the king himself. Her rags to riches story may have inspired the story of Cinderella, but even after she caught her handsome prince, Nell was no stranger to tragedy. You will have a chance to meet pretty, witty little Nell in fantastic costume and have chance to both laugh and cry with her.

About the speaker:

Lesley Smith has been the Curator of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire since 2000. She is a medical historian holding an M.Phil in Tudor medicine, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and is also a Member of the Society of Medical Writers. In addition to these qualifications, Lesley was awarded an Honorary Masters Degree in 2010 by the University of Derby for “Services to History in the Community”, and has 38 academic publications. She is also published in the wider community and had her own page in the local county magazine “Staffordshire Life” for eight years.