1562531 Portrait of a Lady called Nell Gwynn, c.1670 (oil on canvas) by Lely, Peter (1618-80); 127x101.2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (2 February 1650 ??14 November 1687; also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne) was a long-time mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. Called "pretty, witty Nell" by Samuel Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England and has come to be considered a folk heroine, with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of Cinderella. She was the most famous Restoration actress and possessed a prodigious comic talent. Gwyn had two sons by King Charles: Charles Beauclerk (1670??726); and James Beauclerk (1671??680). The surname of her sons is pronounced \'Bo-Clare\'. Charles was created Earl of Burford and later Duke of St. Albans.); Photo 穢 Philip Mould Ltd, London; English, out of copyright.