Windsor Beauties

The Windsor Beauties are a famous collection of paintings by Sir Peter Lely, painted in the early to mid-1660s.

The name stems from the original location of the collection, which was housed in the Queen's bedchamber in Windsor Castle. They can now be seen at Hampton Court Palace.

The Royal Collection includes 10 portraits as part of the set. They show the women at three-quarter length in various poses. Some women wear current fashions; others are draped in loose robes intended to evoke classical antiquity.

The original set of "Beauties" painted by Lely include, depending on the source:

The portraits for the first 10 names are included at the Royal Collection website as "probably commissioned by Anne Hyde, Duchess of York."

The Duchess of York does not figure in the above list often; but since she was largely responsible for the collection (and choosing the sitters), she was also painted as part of the series. Possibly a little flattery from Lely was responsible for this.

Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond, before 1662, as Diana

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Gramont, c. 1663

Jane Needham, Mrs Myddleton, c. 1663-65

Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham, c. 1663-65

Frances Brooke, Lady Whitmore, c. 1665

Mary Bagot, Countess of Falmouth and Dorset, c. 1664-65

Henrietta Boyle, Countess of Rochester, c. 1665

Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, c. 1665, as Minerva

Anne Digby, Countess of Sunderland, before 1666

Elizabeth Wriothesley, Countess of Northumberland, 1669

Henriette, Duchess of Orléans, 1662

Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, 1662

...
Wikipedia