From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn
(or
Gwynn
or
Gwynne
) (1650 - 14 November 1687), was one of the earliest
English
actresses
to receive prominent recognition, and a long-time
mistress
of King
Charles II
.
Called "pretty, witty Nell" by
Samuel Pepys
, she has been called 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
.