Editing Harry Flashman (section)

==Relationships==
Flashman, an insatiable lecher, has sex with many different women over the course of his fictional adventures. His size, good looks, winning manner, and especially his splendid cavalry-style whiskers win over women from low to high, and his dalliances include famous ladies along with numerous prostitutes. In ''Flashman and the Great Game'', about halfway through his life, he counted up his sexual conquests while languishing in a dungeon at [[Gwalior]], "not counting return engagements", reaching a total of 478 up to that date (similar—albeit not equal—to the tally made by [[Mozart]]'s ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' in the famous aria of Giovanni's henchman, Leporello). Passages in ''Royal Flash'', ''Flashman and the Mountain of Light'', ''Flashman and the Dragon'', ''Flashman and the Redskins'', and ''Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'' suggest that Flashman was well endowed.

He was a vigorous and exciting (if sometimes selfish and rapacious) lover, and some of his partners became quite fond of him—though by his own admission, others tried to kill him afterwards. The most memorable of these was Cleonie, a prostitute Flashman sold into slavery in ''Flashman and the Redskins''. He was not above forcing himself on a partner by blackmail (e.g., Phoebe Carpenter in ''Flashman and the Dragon''), and at least twice raped women ([[Narreeman]], an Afghan dancing girl in ''Flashman'', and an unnamed harem girl in ''Flashman's Lady'').

Flashman's stories are dominated by his numerous amorous encounters. Several of them are with prominent historical personages. These women are sometimes window dressing, sometimes pivotal characters in the unpredictable twists and turns of the books. Historical women Flashman bedded included:

* [[Lola Montez]] (Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert James) (''Royal Flash'').
* [[Jind Kaur]], [[Dowager]] [[Maharani]] of [[Punjab region|Punjab]] (''Flashman and the Mountain of Light'').
* [[Lillie Langtry]], actress and mistress of [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] (''Flashman and the Tiger'')
* [[Daisy Brooke]], socialite and mistress of [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] (''Flashman and the Tiger'')
* Mangla, maid and confidant to Jind Kaur (''Flashman and the Mountain of Light'').
* Masteeat, Queen of the Wollo [[Oromo people|Galla]]s (''Flashman on the March'').
* Queen [[Ranavalona I]] of Madagascar (''Flashman's Lady'').
* The Silk One (aka Ko Dali's daughter), consort of [[Yakub Beg of Yettishar|Yakub Beg]] (''Flashman at the Charge'').
* Yehonala, Imperial Chinese concubine, later the [[Empress Dowager Cixi]] (''Flashman and the Dragon'').
* [[Rani of Jhansi|Lakshmibai]], (Possibly) Rani of Jhansi and leader of the [[Indian Mutiny]] (''Flashman in the Great Game'').

He also lusted after (but never bedded):

* [[Frances Isabella Duberly|Fanny Duberly]], a famous army wife (''Flash for Freedom!'').
* [[Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts|Angela Burdett-Coutts]], who became the richest woman in England in her twenties. She nearly dislocated his thumb repelling a "friendly grope" at a house-party (''Flashman's Lady'').
* [[Florence Nightingale]], a famous nurse and social reformer. (''Flashman in the Great Game'').
* [[Agnes Salm-Salm]], the American wife of German Prince [[Felix Salm-Salm]], an associate in his doomed attempts to save [[Maximilian I of Mexico]] (''Flashman on the March'').

His fictional amours included:

* Judy Parsons, his father's mistress (''Flashman''). After a single bedding to satisfy joint lust, she and Flashman achieve a state of mutual dislike. 
* Josette, mistress of Captain Bernier of the 11th Light Dragoons (''Flashman'').
* Elspeth Rennie Morrison, his wife.
* Fetnab, a dancing girl Flashy bought in Calcutta (''Flashman'') to teach him Hindustani, Hindi culture and purportedly ninety-seven ways of love making. Sold to a major in the artillery when Flashman is posted to Afghanistan. 
* Mrs Betty Parker, wife of an officer of Bengal Light Cavalry (''Flashman''; unconsummated). Cited by Flashman as an example of the "inadequacies of education given to young Englishwomen" in the Victorian era, 
* Baroness Pechmann, a [[Bavaria]]n noblewoman (''Royal Flash'').
* Irma, Grand Duchess of Strackenz (''Royal Flash''). For involved political reasons Flashman marries her, in the guise of a Danish prince. After an unpromising start the cold and highly-strung Duchess becomes physically infatuated with him. Decades later she pays an official visit to Queen Victoria. Flashman, by now an aging courtier, observes his erstwhile royal spouse from a safe distance.   
* An-yat-heh, an undercover agent of [[Harry Smith Parkes]] (''Flashman and the Dragon'').
* Aphrodite, one of Miss Susie's "gels" (''Flashman and the Redskins'').
* Cassy, an escaped slave who accompanied Flashman up the Mississippi (''Flash for Freedom!'').
* Caprice, a French intelligence agent (''Flashman and the Tiger'')
* Lady Geraldine (''Flashman and the Dragon'', mentioned)
* Gertrude, niece of [[Wilhelm von Tegetthoff|Admiral Tegetthoff]] (''Flashman on the March'').
* Princess "Kralta", European princess and agent of [[Otto von Bismarck]] (''Flashman and the Tiger'')
* Cleonie Grouard (aka Mrs Arthur B. Candy), one of "Miss Susie's gels" (''Flashman and the Redskins''). With her he had a son, [[Frank Grouard]].
* Mrs Leo Lade, mistress of a violently jealous duke (''Flashman's Lady'').
* "Lady Caroline Lamb", a slave on board the [[slave ship|slaver]] ''Balliol College'' (''Flash for Freedom!''). 
* Mrs Leslie, an unattached woman in the [[Meerut]] garrison (''Flashman in the Great Game'').
* Mrs Madison (''Flashman and the Mountain of Light'').
* Malee, a servant of Uliba-Wark (''Flashman on the March'').
* Annette Mandeville, a Mississippi planter's wife (''Flash for Freedom!'' and again in ''Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'').
* Penny/Jenny, a steamboat girl (''Flash for Freedom!'').
* Lady Plunkett, wife of a colonial judge (not quite consummated: ''Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'').
* Hannah Poppelwell, agent of a Southern slaveholders' conspiracy (''Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'').
* Sara (Aunt Sara), sister-in-law of Count Pencherjevsky (''Flashman at the Charge''). Shares violent love-making with Flashman in a Russian steam-bath. Believed to be victim of a subsequent serf rising. 
* Sonsee-Array (Takes-Away-Clouds-Woman), an Apache savage 'princess', daughter of [[Mangas Coloradas]] and Flashman's fourth wife (''Flashman and the Redskins'').
* Miranda Spring, daughter of John Charity Spring (''Flashman and the Angel of the Lord'').
* Szu-Zhan, a six-foot-eight Chinese bandit leader (''Flashman and the Dragon'').
* Uliba-Wark, an Abyssinian chieftainess and warrior (''Flashman on the March'').
* Valentina (Valla), married daughter of Russian nobleman and [[Cossack]] colonel Count Pencherjevsky (''Flashman at the Charge''). Has an affair with Flashman at her father's instigation. When charged with saving Valla from a rebellion of Pencherjevsky's serfs, Flashman attempts to escape pursuit by throwing her into the snow from a [[troika (driving)|troika]]   
* White Tigress and Honey-and-Milk, two concubines of the Chinese merchant Whampoa (''Flashman's Lady''). 
* Susie Willinck (aka "Miss Susie"), [[New Orleans]] madam and Flashman's third wife (''Flash for Freedom!'' and ''Flashman and the Redskins'').
* Madame Sabba, his "guide" at the Temple of Heaven, actually the lure in a robbery scheme (''Flashman's Lady'', unconsummated).
* Mam'selle Bomfomtalbellilaba, a guest at one of Ranavalona I of Madagascar's parties (''Flashman's Lady'', unconsummated).
* Hermia, an African-American slave (''Flash for Freedom!'').
* Phoebe Carpenter, the wife of a British clergyman in China (''Flashman and the Dragon'', unconsummated)

As well as bedding more or less any lass available, he married whenever it was politic to do so. During a posting to Scotland, he was forced to marry Elspeth to avoid "pistols for two with her fire-breathing uncle". He is still married to her decades later when writing the memoirs, though that does not stop him pursuing others. Nor does it prevent marrying them when his safety seems to require it; he marries Duchess Irma in ''Royal Flash'' and in ''Flashman and the Redskins'' he marries Susie Willnick as they escape New Orleans, and Sonsee-Array a few months later.

He was also once reminded of a woman that Elspeth claimed he flirted with named Kitty Stevens, though Flashman was unable to remember her.

He had a special penchant for royal ladies, and noted that his favourite amours (apart from his wife) were Lakshmibai, Ci Xi and Lola Montez: "a Queen, an Empress, and the foremost courtesan of her time: I dare say I'm just a snob."  He also noted that, while civilized women were more than ordinarily partial to him, his most ardent admirers were among the savage of the species: "Elspeth, of course, is Scottish."  And for all his raking, it was always Elspeth to whom he returned and who remained ultimately top of the list.

His lechery was so strong that it broke out even in the midst of rather hectic circumstances. While accompanying [[Thomas Henry Kavanagh]] on his daring escape from Lucknow, he paused for a quick rattle with a local prostitute, and during the battle of [[Patusan]], he found himself galloping one of Sharif Sahib's concubines without even realizing it but nonetheless continued to the climax of the battle and the tryst.

Flashman's relations with the highest-ranking woman of his era, [[Queen Victoria]], are warm but platonic. He first meets her in 1842 when he receives a medal for his gallantry in Afghanistan<ref>''Flashman'', p. 247.</ref> and reflects on what a honeymoon she and Prince Albert must have enjoyed. Subsequently, he and his wife received invitations to [[Balmoral Castle]], to the delight of the snobbish Elspeth.<ref>''Flashman in the Great Game'', pages 1, 9, and 12.</ref> For his services during the [[Indian Mutiny]], Victoria not only approved awarding Flashy the [[Victoria Cross]], but loaded the KCB on top of it.<ref>''Flashman in the Great Game''</ref>