mistresses, Barbara Palmer, Countess of Castlemaine, afterward Duchess of
Cleveland, and Louise de Querouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. The rooms of
the latter, who first came to England with Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans,
to entice Charles II into an alliance with Louis XIV., and whose
"childish, simple, baby-face" is described by Evelyn, were three times
rebuilt to please her, having "ten times the richness and glory" of the
queen's. Nell Gwynne did not live in the palace, tho she was one of Queen
Catherine's Maids of Honor!

Charles died in Whitehall on February 6, 1684. With his successor the
character of the palace changed. James II, who continued to make it his
principal residence, established a Roman Catholic chapel there.

It was from Whitehall that Queen Mary Beatrice made her escape on the
night of December 9, 1688. The adventure was confided to the Count de
Lauzun and his friend M. de St. Victor, a gentleman of Avignon. The queen
on that terrible evening entreated vainly to be allowed to remain and
share the perils of her husband; he assured her that it was absolutely
necessary that she should precede him, and that he would follow her in
twenty-four hours. The king and queen went to bed as usual to avoid
suspicion, but rose soon after, when the queen put on a disguise provided
by St. Victor. The royal pair then descended to the rooms of Madame de
Labadie, where they found Lauzun, with the infant Prince James and his two
nurses. The king, turning-to Lauzun, said, "I confide my queen and my son
to your care: all must be hazarded to convey them with the utmost speed to
France." Lauzun then gave his hand to the queen to lead her away, and,
followed by the two nurses with the child, they crossed the Great Gallery,
and descended by a back staircase and a postern gate to Privy Gardens. At
the garden gate a coach was waiting, the queen entered with Lauzun, the
nurses, and her child, who slept the whole time, St. Victor mounted by the