Nell Gwyn
/ˌnel ˈɡwɪn/
/ˌnel ˈɡwɪn/
- (1650-87) an English actor who was the lover of King Charles II for many years. She came from a poor background and could not read or write, but she had two of Charles's sons. She is thought of as a lively, cheerful and attractive woman who at one time sold oranges in the theatre at Covent Garden.