Charlie's Dead

Posted by Smokey Stover on August 03, 2007

In Reply to: Charlie's Dead posted by Linda Jackson on July 25, 2007

: Charlie's Dead... was said when a ladies petticoat was showing below her dress or skirt... Where did this come from?

The following suggestion, from The Answer Bank, is the most plausible of those I have seen put forward.

"I think it was in the Daily Mirror recently; it refers apparently to King Charles II who was a bit of a ladies man. When he died, women out of respect flashed their petticoats." See:

[Dead link removed - ed]

King Charles' best known mistress was Nell Gwynn. On his deathbed Charles is said to have told his wife, "Don't let poor Nellie starve."
SS