How will these resources help you?

All too often, the great deeds of women are overlooked or overshadowed by those of men. This was true even for women who wielded political power and exerted influence at court, including that of Charles II. Charles’s many mistresses and his wife, Catherine of Braganza, played significant political, cultural, and social roles. The resources given here aim to enable students to focus on these roles, to encourage discussions around ‘soft power’ and how these women used their wits in order to achieve their ambitions. The reasons they remained in favour were more complex than mere physical attraction: companionship, and even friendship, with the king was essential if they were to climb the ladder of courtiers. These resources will enable teachers to create engaging sessions, considering questions such as: ‘How did women shape Charles II’s court?’, ‘How did they influence his politics?’ and ‘What roles did they play in the cultural life of seventeenth-century Britain?’