Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland

The Duke of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer with her son Charles as the Madonna and child by Sir Peter Lely
Duke of Cleveland
Reign	9 October 1709 – 9 September 1730
Born	(1662-06-18)18 June 1662
Died	9 September 1730(1730-09-09) (aged 68)
Father	Charles II of England
Mother	Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland

Arms of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland: The royal arms of King Charles II overall a bend sinister ermine

Charles Palmer, later FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, 1st Duke of Southampton, KG, Chief Butler of England (18 June 1662 – 9 September 1730), styled Baron Limerick before 1670 and Earl of Southampton between 1670 and 1675, was the eldest son of Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine (née Barbara Villiers, later 1st Duchess of Cleveland) and the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. As the putative son of Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, his nominal father, he was styled Lord Limerick from birth. His birth marked the separation of his parents; Lord Castlemaine, a Roman Catholic, had him baptised into the Roman Catholic faith, but six days later the King had him re-christened into the Church of England.

In 1670, at the age of eight, he was betrothed to Mary Wood, daughter of Sir Henry Wood, Clerk of the Green Cloth, but with the proviso that the marriage be delayed until Mary turned 16. Following the death of her father, the Duchess of Cleveland more or less abducted Mary, with the intention of bringing her up with her own children. He had no children of this marriage but had from his second marriage to Anne Pulteney.

In 1675 he was created Duke of Southampton and upon the death of his mother in 1709 he became 2nd Duke of Cleveland, by a special remainder in the Dukedom which allowed it to pass to him, even though he was illegitimate. He died aged 68.

References

•  Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1889). "Fitzroy, Charles (1662-1730)". Dictionary of National Biography. 19. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

Ancestry