The Wild, The Beautiful And The Damned

A new temporary exhibition about the story of beauty, debauchery and decadent art at the late Stuart Court.

The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned, explores the meaning of beauty, and the lives and loves of the courtesans and libertines who lived and died in the Stuart Court during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III & Mary II and Anne (1660-1714).

At the heart of the exhibition will be portraits of Charles II’s principal mistresses, including Nell Gwyn and Barbara Villiers, brought together at the palace for the first time.

Visitors will be taken on a journey through the Queens State apartments, guided by the lives of the virtuous and the corrupt. Visitors will learn about the beauty secrets of the day, marvel at the fashions and elegance of court life, but also learn what happens when beauty fades.