Lady Barbara FitzRoy (16 July 1672 – 6 May 1737), was the sixth and youngest child of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, a mistress of Charles II of England. Charles never publicly acknowledged her as his child, as he was probably not the father. She became a Benedictine nun, known as Benedite.
Early life
thumb|Barbara and her mother, by Thomas Pooley
Barbara was born at Cleveland House in St Martin in the Fields, London, England on 16 July 1672. Around the time she was born, Louise de Kérouaille was replacing her mother as the king's primary mistress.
Although her mother insisted she was a daughter of the king, Barbara was probably fathered either by John Churchill, later Duke of Marlborough, a second cousin of her mother, or Lord Chesterfield, whom she is said to have resembled in her features. Abel Boyer's contemporary history of the reign of Queen Anne says of Barbara:
<blockquote>"I do not find the King ever owned her for his daughter; but a great man now living is her reputed father. [...] It is generally believ'd that Mr. Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough, was her father."</blockquote>
Finally, her mother's husband, Lord Castlemaine, believed Barbara to be his daughter, and bequeathed her his estate. Charles, however, always insisted on acknowledging her as his child, while disavowing her in private. whom she named Charles Hamilton (1691–1754) who later became the Count of Arran. Charles went on to marry first Elizabeth, daughter of the Hon. John Campbell of Mamore and had a son christened William, but he died in infancy. While in France Charles Hamilton was styled Count of Arran. Elizabeth later died and Charles remarried Antoinette Courtney, daughter of Charles Courtney of Archambaud and had a son by her, Charles Hamilton who returned to England and began a military career, finally settling in Dorset. Charles on returning to England went into the Army, became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Scots Greys and was created a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. He went on to marry Catherine, daughter of Sir Gerrard Napier, 5th Baronet of Middle March. Arran's parents bitterly opposed his relationship with Barbara. After giving birth, she became a nun