A masterpiece thought to depict a favourite mistress of King Charles II is expected to make up to £2 million at auction.

Portrait Of A Young Lady And Child As Venus And Cupid by Sir Peter Lely, the finest painter of the Restoration and official artist to the king, is being sold to raise money to save a castle in Kent.

The mistress may be Nell Gwyn but is more likely to be her predecessor, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland.

A description in an inventory of the period suggests the painting was kept in a secret panel in the royal bedchamber. (Source)

Fun Fact: Barbara Villiers is the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles, the long-time-mistress-turned-wife to Prince Charles.

Fun Fact Part II: Camilla is proud/amused by her family's history and has made several mentions of it in the press.