Charles Palmer, later Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, 1st Duke of Southampton, Chief Butler of England (18 June 16629 September 1730) was an English nobleman and illegitimate son of Charles II. He was styled Baron Limerick before 1670; Earl of Southampton between 1670 and 1675; and known as the Duke of Southampton from 1675 until 1709, when he succeeded his mother as Duke of Cleveland.

Early life

Charles Palmer, later "FitzRoy", was born on 18 June 1662, and was initially claimed by Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, his mother's husband, as his son and heir before being publicly acknowledged and invested by King Charles II of England as his son. He was the third eldest of the illegitimate sons of Charles II, with his mother being Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and later 1st Duchess of Cleveland, then the wife of Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine. In recognition of his legal father the Earl of Castlemaine, he was styled from birth by the courtesy title "Lord Limerick", one of the Earl's lesser titles. His birth marked the separation of his legal parents; Lord Castlemaine, a

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, had him christened in the Roman Catholic faith, but six days later, the King had him re-christened in the

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as an

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and

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Personal life

In 1670, at the age of 8, he was betrothed to Mary Wood, only child and sole heiress of Sir Henry Wood, 1st Baronet, Clerk of the Green Cloth, but with the proviso that the marriage be delayed until Mary was 16 years old. 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. In 1675, he was created Duke of Southampton by King Charles II, along with the subsidiary titles of Earl of Chichester and Baron Newbury. The marriage to Mary Wood took place in 1679, but within months the new Duchess had died of smallpox, leaving no children of the marriage.Thomas Christopher Banks, ''The Dormant and Extinct Baronage of England. Supplement'' (1826), p. 442 In 1694, the Duke remarried Anne Pulteney, a daughter of Sir William Pulteney, of Misterton,

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, and had issue: *Lady Grace FitzRoy, Countess of Darlington, born 28 March 1697, married in 1725 Henry Vane, Earl of Darlington. Their grandson later became William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland. * William FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Cleveland and 2nd Duke of Southampton (19 February 1698 – 18 May 1774) no issue, the title went extinct. *Lord Charles Fitzroy (13 February 1698 – 31 July 1723) *Lord Henry Fitzroy (17 August 1701 – 1709) *Lady Anne FitzRoy, (12 November 1702 – 13 February 1769), married John Paddey, Esq. *Lady Barbara FitzRoy, died unmarried On the death of his mother in 1709, the Duke became also second Duke of Cleveland, by a special remainder in the grant of the dukedom which set aside his illegitimacy. He died on 9 September 1730 and was buried at Westminster Abbey. He was succeeded by his eldest son William FitzRoy (1698–1774), who died without issue, when all his titles became extinct.

Arms

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland, Charles Fitzroy, 2nd Duke Of 1662 births 1730 deaths 17th-century English nobility 18th-century English people House of Stuart 102 Dukes of Southampton Knights of the Garter Illegitimate children of Charles II of England Peers of England created by Charles II Earls of Chichester Burials at Westminster Abbey Sons of kings