Femme Fatales of London: The City of Lust
“Paris may be the city of love, but London is the city of lust.” – Catharine Arnold
London has long been a city of scandal, seduction, and secret desires. While its grand streets and royal palaces project an air of refinement, a darker, more tantalizing history lurks beneath. This tour unveils the pleasure-seekers, mistresses, courtesans, and libertines who shaped the city’s erotic past. From royal mistresses to infamous brothels, from masquerade balls to scandalous duels, step into the world of London’s femme fatales—the women who held power in their hands, their beds, and their secrets.
Highlights:
• Visit the sites of London’s most notorious brothels and red-light districts.
• Walk through the Strand, where 18th-century condoms were sold.
• Discover where Casanova stayed during his scandalous London visit.
• Hear the seductive tale of Nell Gwyn, England’s most famous royal mistress.
• Stand in the shadows of the School of Sodom, where flogging and forbidden pleasures reigned.
• Uncover the 1920s nightclub Empire, once a hub for high society’s vices.
• Learn about the mistresses, courtesans, and femme fatales who controlled kings and aristocrats.
Tour Overview:
Begin your journey in Covent Garden, once teeming with courtesans and streetwalkers, where one of Europe’s greatest composers got into trouble with the city’s sex trade. Continue along the Strand, home to London’s first condom sellers in the 18th century. Before modern rubber, protection came in the form of sheep intestines and linen soaked in salt and herbs—believed to guard against syphilis.
Step into the world of royal excess as you visit the oldest restaurant in London, where King Edward VII dined with his mistresses, indulging in both food and forbidden pleasures. Then, walk in the footsteps of Casanova, the world’s greatest lover, and hear about his most important London mistress.
Venture into Mayfair, where the city’s elite kept their mistresses in grand houses, hidden from public view yet wielding immense influence. Your guide will introduce you to the Countess who made men duel to the death for her love, and you’ll hear the dramatic story of John Montagu’s greatest affair—a romance that sparked jealousy, scandal, and obsession.
Step back into the debauchery of 18th-century masquerade balls, where socialites abandoned their identities for a night of erotic escapades. Visit the site of the School of Sodom, where men were brutally flogged for pleasure, and uncover the secret world of flagellation clubs, once frequented by politicians, aristocrats, and even royals.
Move through Soho, once packed with brothels, peep shows, and strip clubs, and hear about the wild 1920s nightclub Empire, where sex, cocaine, and jazz mixed behind closed doors.
End your journey in Chinatown, where London’s sex industry thrived in the shadows of opium dens and illicit gambling houses. Discover how the city’s lust-filled past continues to shape its present.
London’s Women of Desire:
• Nell Gwyn – The most celebrated royal mistress, who captured King Charles II’s heart with her wit and beauty.
• Harriette Wilson – The Regency courtesan who blackmailed her lovers—including the Duke of Wellington.
• Elizabeth Armistead – From courtesan to a political influencer, she became the lifelong partner of Prime Minister Charles Fox.
• Teresa Cornelys – The queen of 18th-century masquerades, hosting scandalous parties in Soho.
• Margaret “Peg” Woffington – An actress and seductress who stole the hearts of London’s most powerful men.
Forget the Myth of the Moral Past
Don’t be fooled into thinking the past was more innocent—London has always been a city of lust, excess, and hidden pleasure. On this tour, you’ll hear scandalous stories of seduction, power, and sin—the kind that history books often try to forget.
This isn’t just a history tour—it’s a journey into London’s darkest desires.
Price:
£1484 per group