A Few Famous Courtesans

17th century and before

Lais of Corinth
Lais of Hyccara (killed 340 BC)
Aspasia (469 BC-409 BC) - lover of the Athenian statesman
Phryne (4th century BC)
Su Xiaoxiao (late 5th century)
Jane Shore (1445-1527)
Margaret Drummond (Mistress) (1475-1502) - mistress to King James IV of Scotland
Françoise de Foix (1495-1537) - first official mistress of King Francis I of France
Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) - official mistress of King Henry II of France
Mary Boleyn (1499 - 1543) - mistress of King Henry VIII of England and (allegedly) lover of King Francis I of France
Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly (1508-1580) - last official mistress of King Francis I of France
Veronica Franco (1546–1591) - a Venician courtesan who was once lover to King Henry III of France
Marie Touchet (1549 - 1638) - the only mistress of King Charles IX of France
Marion Delorme (circa 1613–1650) - lover of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, the Prince of Condé and Cardinal Richelieu
Ninon de l'Enclos (1615–1705) - lover of the Prince of Condé and Gaspard de Coligny
Lucy Walter (1630-1658) - mistress-in-exile to King Charles II of Great Britain
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (1640-1709) - first official mistress at the court of King Charles II of Great Britain
Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan (1641-1707) - mistress to King Louis XIV of France
Louise de la Vallière (1644 - 1710) - mistress to King Louis XIV of France
Nell Gwynne (1650–1687) - mistress to King Charles II of Great Britain