# The Great Roxhythe — Character guide

> Key figures in The Great Roxhythe by Georgette Heyer.

- [Lord Roxhythe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_roxhythe.md): To the court he is an idle, cynical darling of the King; to Christopher Dart, the raw young secretary he recruits at midnight, he is a spellbinding and unreadable master. Roxhythe's languor vanishes whenever intrigue cal
- [King Charles II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/king_charles_ii.md): Charles rules a court of wit and license, trusting Roxhythe above all others while his brother James chafes at being kept in the dark. He wants French gold and a Catholic alliance, but he wants them on his own terms, and
- [Mr. Milward](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/mr_milward.md): Milward is the sort of genial, worldly acquaintance a young secretary is delighted to meet abroad, full of stories of Italy and the Hague. He attaches himself to Christopher's company just as Roxhythe falls mysteriously 
- [Roderick Dart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/roderick_dart.md): Roderick is everything his brother is not: cold, austere, and openly contemptuous of the King's court and its foppish favourite. He comes to Roxhythe's inn only at Christopher's request, hand near his belt, convinced he 
- [Lady Frances Montgomery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lady_frances_montgomery.md): Lady Frances moves easily in the glittering, morally loose world of Whitehall, where flirtation is a game and the devil is never idle. She is drawn to Roxhythe's charm and daring, yet the rival she cannot name — his secr
- [Duke of York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/duke_of_york.md): James wants the French alliance and the restoration of his religion, but he wants them openly, with Parliament's consent and the army behind him — not through clandestine treaties that make kings into thieves. He resents
- [William of Orange](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/william_of_orange.md): William of Nassau moves through European politics with a cold discipline that unnerves the pleasure-loving English court, inspiring absolute loyalty in servants who would sooner die than betray him. Roxhythe, returning f
- [Madame d'Orléans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/madame_dorleans.md): Madame d'Orléans moves between the English and French courts with charm as her weapon and half-knowledge as her currency, teasing Roxhythe for the truth about Charles's intentions even as she admits she has 'but half' th
- [Lord Ashley-Cooper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_ashley_cooper.md): Lord Ashley-Cooper sits uneasily beside the foppish Buckingham, tapping his foot and watching Roxhythe with open suspicion, a man who has no use for comfits or courtly polish. He is not at ease in the King's designs and 
- [Lady Crewe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lady_crewe.md): Lady Crewe confronts Roxhythe at a ball, silks rustling and red lips pressed thin, demanding to know why he ignored her letter and missed her party. She knows he is cold, knows he only pretends because it amuses him, and
- [Sir Henry Crewe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/sir_henry_crewe.md): A gentleman of standing, involved in the affairs of the court.
- [David](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/david.md): A loyal servant or friend to Roxhythe, often addressed with affection.
- [Monmouth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/monmouth.md): Monmouth returns from Scotland triumphant, his cause fanned by rumours of a marriage certificate sealed in a box, and shows himself everywhere the moment Charles falls ill. Shaftesbury sways him to his will, inducing him
- [Sydney Harcourt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/sydney_harcourt.md): A friend and confidant to Roxhythe, often involved in delicate matters.
- [Mynheer de Staal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/de_staal.md): A Dutch contact or ally, assisting Roxhythe in foreign intrigues.
- [Lord Danby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_danby.md): A key minister in Charles II's government, navigating political storms.
- [Sir Jasper Montgomery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/sir_jasper_montgomery.md): A relative of Lady Frances, with his own stake in events.
- [M. Colbert de Croissy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/colbert.md): The French ambassador, a shrewd negotiator for Louis XIV.
- [Buckingham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/buckingham.md): A flamboyant duke and courtier, often at odds with the King.
- [Lord Sunderland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_sunderland.md): A cunning politician who shifts allegiances to survive.
- [Lord Holles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_holles.md): A diplomat and peer, part of the English delegation abroad.
- [Mr. Trenchard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/mr_trenchard.md): A gentleman involved in the Whig plots against the King.
- [Lord Grey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lord_grey.md): A conspirator in the Rye House Plot and Monmouth's rebellion.
- [M. Barillon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/m_barillon.md): The French ambassador to England, a key player in secret diplomacy.
- [Katherine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/katherine.md): A woman of the court, possibly a servant or minor noble.
- [Richard Worth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/richard_worth.md): A minor gentleman or official in the story.
- [Lady Mary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lady_mary.md): A princess, daughter of the Duke of York, later Queen Mary II.
- [Lady Castlemaine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/lady_castlemaine.md): A former mistress of King Charles II, a figure of scandal.
- [Mrs. Chester](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/mrs_chester.md): A minor female character, possibly a housekeeper or companion.
- [Sedley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/sedley.md): A wit and courtier, part of the King's libertine circle.
- [Mr. Fletcher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/fletcher.md): A conspirator in the Rye House Plot.
- [Mynheer Heenvliet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/heenvliet.md): A Dutch diplomat or official.
- [La Kéroualle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/la_keroualle.md): A French spy and mistress of Charles II, later Duchess of Portsmouth.
- [Louise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters/louise.md): A French maid or attendant to Madame d'Orléans.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_great_roxhythe_se/characters