Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke 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 Charles 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 Villiers, later 1st Duchess of Cleveland, and one of the illegitimate sons 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, 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 aged sixteen. 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. 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.^[1]

In 1694, the Duke married secondly Anne, a daughter of Sir William Poultney, of Misterton, Leicestershire, and they had six children:^[1]

• Lady Grace, born 28 March 1697, married in 1725 Henry Vane, later created Earl of Darlington
• William, Earl of Chichester (19 February 1698 - 18 May 1774)
• Lord Charles Fitzroy (13 February 1698 - 31 July 1723)
• Lord Henry Fitzroy (17 August 1701 - 1709)
• Lady Anne, born 12 November 1702, married Francis Paddy, Esq.
• Lady Barbara, 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.^[1] He was succeeded by his eldest son William FitzRoy (1698–1774), who died without issue, when all his titles became extinct

References

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

Ancestry