Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland

Who was Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland?

Charles Palmer, later FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland, 1st Duke of Southampton, KG, Chief Butler of England, styled Baron Limerick before 1670 and Earl of Southampton between 1670 and 1675, was the eldest son of Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine and the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England and Scotland. 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.