Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine
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Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, (1634-1705) is probably best known as the husband of Barbara Villiers, one of Charles II's mistresses. However, he was also a noted Catholic writer and courtier.
Born into an Catholic family, Roger was the son of Sir James Palmer, a gentleman of the bed-chamber under King Charles I, and Catherine Herbert, daughter of Sir William Herbert, 1st Lord Powis. He was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge.
On April 14, 1659 he married Barbara Villiers against his family's wishes; his father predicted that she would make him one of the most miserable men in the world. The two separated for good in 1662, following the birth of her second child.
It is believed that Roger did not father a single one of Barbara's children. Palmer himself believed that the eldest child, Lady Anne Palmer (b. 25 February 1660/61) was his own daughter and the diary of Samuel Pepys on 23 August 1662 said: "But that which pleased me best was that my Lady Castlemayne stood over against us upon a piece of White-hall - where I glutted myself with looking on her. But methought it was strange to see her Lord and her upon the same place, walking up and down without taking notice one of another; only, at first entry, he put off his hat and she made him a very civil salute - but afterwards took no notice one of another. But both of them now and then would take their child, which the nurse held in her armes, and dandle it". The child was Anne. However, Charles II also acknowledged her (with her sister Charlotte) as one of "his dear and natural daughters by the Duchess of Cleveland" and described her as "the Lady Anne Fitzroy" when granting her a patent of the arms granted to her brother Charles, then Earl (later Duke) of Southampton.
Charles II created Palmer Baron Limerick and Earl of Castlemaine in 1661, but the title was limited to his children by Barbara (as opposed, that is, to any later wife he might have) which made it clear that the honour was for her services to the King rather than his. This made it more of a humiliation than an honour: see the diary of Samuel Pepys for 7 December 1661: "...to the Privy Seale...And among other things that passed, there was a patent for Roger Palmer (Madam Palmer's husband) to be Earle of Castlemaine and Baron of Limbricke in Ireland. But the honour is tied up to the males got on the body of his wife, the Lady Barbary - the reason whereof everybody knows." Palmer did not want a peerage on these terms but it was forced on him; and he never took his seat in the Irish House of Lords (although he did use the title). His wife (whom he never divorced) was later created Duchess of Cleveland in her own right.
In 1680 Roger was tried at the King's Bench Bar in Westminster for high treason and was acquitted. He became a member of the English Privy Council in 1686, following James II's accession to the throne. He was appointed Ambassador to the Vatican, where he was ridiculed as a cuckold. As ambassador, he promoted James's plan to have Pope Innocent XI make his Jesuit privy councillor, Edward Petre, a cardinal. Innocent declined to do so. He proved inept at the job and was recalled. After the Revolution of 1688, Palmer spent most of 1689 and part of 1690 in prison.
His writings include the Catholique Apology (1674), The Compendium [of the Popish Plot trials] (1679) and The Earl of Castlemaine's Manifesto (1681).
