The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth

Keay (The Magnificent Monarch) seeks to rehabilitate the image of James, Duke of Monmouth (1649–1685), the oldest illegitimate child of the “Merry Monarch,” Charles II of England. She emphasizes Monmouth’s transformation from an unstable royal mistress’s hungry child into a “selfish wastrel” and then “principled politician.” London’s National Portrait Gallery describes Monmouth as “charming, ambitious, and unprincipled,” adding to the duke’s popular depiction as a womanizing opportunist on a quest to supplant his father’s brother as heir to the throne. While Monmouth initially dives into frivolity, later military experience gave him a greater empathy and a hero’s reputation. Keay understates the influence of Lucy Walters (Charles II’s mistress and Monmouth’s mother) and neglects the Duchess of Portsmouth’s role in shocking treaty negotiations with the French, but she beautifully explores the relationships Monmouth had with his father; the Duke of York (later James II); and his cousin and friend William of Orange. Monmouth earned the dedication of his soldiers and commoners while laying a road map to the throne for William, who succeeded James II only three years later. Keay’s portrayal softens Monmouth’s own quest for the throne, though she convincingly describes him as a complex and sympathetic figure who was doomed by his family’s fracturing due to England’s religious struggles. [em](May) [/em]