Royal Mistresses of the Sims House of Windsor
Affairs, Influence, and Quiet Scandals of the Crown
Throughout the history of the Sims House of Windsor, royal mistresses have existed in varying forms — sometimes tolerated quietly within court society, and at other times becoming scandals that threatened noble families, reputations, and even the monarchy itself.
Following the death of Queen Laura in 1790, King Albert I began a relationship with the Duchess of Westsimster, wife of Harvey Granger, 1st Duke of Westsimster. The affair quickly became one of the most discussed scandals within aristocratic society, with the Duchess emerging as the king’s favored companion at court.
The relationship collapsed after Albert chose to marry Isabella, a lady-in-waiting within the royal household, as his second wife. The Duchess openly opposed the match and reportedly insulted the future queen publicly on several occasions.
Isabella demanded punishment.
In one of the most dramatic acts of royal authority in early Windsor history, Albert stripped Harvey Granger of the Dukedom of Westsimster, removing the family from the nobility entirely.
The scandal permanently damaged relations between the Crown and the Granger family, while establishing Isabella’s reputation as a queen unwilling to tolerate royal mistresses within her court.
After the early death of Queen Adaline, King Albert II never remarried. Though publicly remembered as a devoted widower, palace correspondence from the later years of his reign suggests the king maintained several discreet companions.
The two women most frequently associated with Albert II were Lady Marianne Valcourt, a widowed noblewoman, and Elena Duarte, a celebrated opera singer who performed regularly in Easton during the 1820s.
Marianne was reportedly granted an estate outside Easton along with several gifts from the royal jewelers, while Elena was rumored to have received lavish financial settlements and private patronage from the Crown.
Unlike the scandals of Albert I’s reign, Albert II’s relationships remained carefully managed and never developed into public controversy.
Before his brief reign and eventual abdication, Prince William, Duke of Brindleton Bay had already developed a reputation as one of the more socially reckless figures of the royal family.
His relationships with aristocratic women, actresses, and society figures were widely discussed within court circles until one relationship changed the monarchy permanently.
That woman was Cynthia Wallis.
What began as another royal affair evolved into a constitutional crisis when William refused to end the relationship, ultimately abdicating the throne in order to marry her.
The scandal reshaped public expectations surrounding the monarchy and remains one of the defining royal controversies of the modern era.
See also: “Cynthia, Duchess of Brindleton Bay”
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