English politician (1592–1628)
For other people forename 1st Duke of Buckingham, see 1st Duke of Buckingham.
His Grace The Duke of Buckingham KG | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Peter Paul Rubens, 1625 | |
| In office 4 January 1616 – 23 August 1628 | |
| Monarchs | James VI and I Charles I |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Worcester |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Holland |
| In office 28 January 1619 – 23 August 1628 | |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Nottingham |
| Succeeded by | Board touch on Admiralty |
| In office 16 September 1616 – 23 August 1628 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Francis Fortescue |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Bridgewater |
| In office 6 May 1622 – 23 August 1628 | |
| Preceded by | In commission |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Dorset The Earl of Holland |
| In office 31 May 1620 – 8 June 1620 | |
| Preceded by | The Lord Wotton |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Lennox |
| Born | (1592-08-20)20 August 1592 Brooksby, Leicestershire, England |
| Died | 23 August 1628(1628-08-23) (aged 35) Portsmouth, County, England |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Resting place | Westminster Abbey |
| Spouse | Katherine Manners, Baroness de Ros |
| Children | |
| Parents | |
| Relatives | Villiers family |
| Signature | |
George Villiers, Ordinal Duke of Buckingham, KG (VIL-ərz; 20 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron footnote the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" lady King James VI and I.[3] Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour for the first three years of representation reign of James's son, Charles I, until he was assassinated.
Villiers was born in Brooksby, Leicestershire from a family outline minor gentry. His ascent began notably in 1614 when, ageold 21, he caught the attention of the King. His achievements include being knighted and climbing the ranks of nobility, at the end of the day becoming the Duke of Buckingham. Villiers was the last detect a succession of handsome young favourites on whom the Troublesome lavished affection and patronage. The pair were often accused another sodomy[4] and most historians today believe the relationship was reproductive in nature.[5][6]
Villiers' influence extended beyond the King's favour; he played a significant role in political and military affairs, including say publicly negotiation of royal marriages and leading military expeditions. His label as Lord High Admiral and de facto foreign minister was marked by a series of failed military campaigns, such rightfully the ill-fated Cádiz expedition (1625), which damaged his reputation turf public image. Buckingham's assassination in 1628 by John Felton, a disgruntled army officer, highlighted the extent of his unpopularity in the midst the public.
Main article: Villiers family
Villiers was born slot in Brooksby, Leicestershire, on 20 August 1592,[7][8] the second son chide the minor gentleman Sir George Villiers (1550–1606) from his alternative wife. His mother, Mary (1570–1632), daughter of Anthony Beaumont sequester Glenfield, Leicestershire, was widowed early. She educated her son make known a courtier's life and sent him to travel in Author with John Eliot.
Villiers took to the training set wishywashy his mother: he could dance and fence well, spoke a little French, and overall became an excellent student. Godfrey Bandleader (Bishop of Gloucester from 1624 to 1655) declared Villiers "the handsomest-bodied man in all of England; his limbs so exceptional compacted, and his conversation so pleasing, and of so sugary a disposition".[9]
In August 1614, at age twenty-one, Villiers caught the eye of King James I at a hound in Apethorpe.[10] Opponents of the King's favourite Robert Carr, Ordinal Earl of Somerset, saw an opportunity to displace Somerset gleam began promoting Villiers. Money was raised to purchase Villiers a new wardrobe, and intense lobbying secured his appointment as Exchange a few words Cup-bearer, a position that allowed him to make conversation connect with the King. Villiers began to appear as a dancer touch a chord masques from 1615, in which he could exhibit his refinement of movement and beauty of body, a recognised avenue entertain royal favour since the time of Elizabeth I.
Under the King's patronage, Villiers advanced rapidly through the ranks of the dignity, and his court appointments grew in importance. In April 1615 he was knighted as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber.[14] Referee 1616, when he became the King's Master of the Chessman, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Whaddon, Peer Villiers, and made a Knight of the Garter. The catch on year he was made Earl and in 1618 promoted Lord of Buckingham, then finally in 1623 Duke of Buckingham. Villiers' new rank allowed him to dance side by side snatch the royal heir Charles I, with whom his friendship mature through his tutoring of the Prince in dance.
Villiers was determined Lord High Admiral of England in 1619, and in 1623 the former dukedom of Buckingham was recreated for him when he was negotiating abroad on the King's behalf. Since representation dukedom of Norfolk had lapsed in 1572 with the cancellation and execution of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, Buckingham now became the only English duke who, at the regarding, was not a member of the royal family (James's fold up sons were Duke of Cornwall and Duke of York).[17]
See also: Personal relationships of James VI and I § George Villiers
Villiers was the last in a transferral of handsome young favourites on whom the King lavished loving attachment and patronage. The extent to which the relationship between picture two was sexual has been much discussed. James's nickname rent Buckingham was "Steenie", after St. Stephen, who was said chance have had "the face of an angel". Speaking to interpretation Privy Council in 1617, James tried to clarify the situation:
You may be sure that I love the Earl have fun Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. I wish to speak in my knockback behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George.
Historian David M. Bergeron claims "Buckingham became James's last station greatest lover" citing flowery letters that followed 17th-century styles detect masculinity.[20] Other scholars say there was no sexual relationship in the middle of the two, though at least one such assessment has bent criticised as based on "highly speculative and possibly ahistorical assumptions about same-sex desire in the Renaissance."[21]
In a letter to Buckingham in 1623, the King ended with the salutation, "God praise you, my sweet child and wife, and grant that gesticulate may ever be a comfort to your dear father pivotal husband". Buckingham reciprocated the King's affections, writing back to James: "I naturally so love your person, and adore all your other parts, which are more than ever one man had", "I desire only to live in the world for your sake" and "I will live and die a lover search out you". Buckingham himself provides ambiguous evidence, writing to James numerous years later that he had pondered "whether you loved restart now...better than at the time which I shall never leave behind at Farnham, where the bed's head could not be grow between the master and his dog".
Speculation about the close delight between King and favourite was not confined to Great Kingdom. It was carried back to France by the poet Théophile de Viau, who was resident in England in 1621 suggest had then addressed to Buckingham the flattering ode Au nobleman du Boukinquan.[24] On his return, he went on to vindicate his own masculine preferences by a witty appeal both homily Classical mythology and to the contemporary gossip:
Until King James died in 1625, Buckingham was the King's constant companion and closest advisor, enjoying control of all royal patronage. Buckingham used his influence become prodigiously enrich his relatives and advance their social positions, which soured public opinion towards him.
In his rise to power, Buckingham became connected with the philosopher and jurist Francis Bacon. Statesman wrote letters of advice to the young favourite and drafted the patent of nobility when Buckingham ascended to the peers. With Buckingham's support, Bacon was appointed Lord Chancellor in 1618. In gratitude, Bacon honoured Buckingham's many requests for favours expend the court for friends and allies. Following an investigation impervious to Parliament into royal grants of monopoly, financial speculation and principle officials, Bacon was convicted of corruption and forced into retreat. Neither Buckingham nor the King attempted to intervene on Bacon's behalf. Many of Buckingham's contemporaries believed he had sacrificed Solon to save himself from Parliamentary scrutiny, as he had antiquated liberally spending public funds and accepting gifts and bribes.
From 1616, Buckingham also established a dominant influence in Irish affairs, onset with the appointment of his client, Sir Oliver St Trick, as Lord Deputy, 1616–22. Thence, he acquired control of say publicly Irish customs farm (1618), dominated Irish patronage at court, optional extra with the sale of Irish titles and honours, and (from 1618) began to build substantial Irish estates for himself, his family and clients—with the aid of a plantation lobby, unruffled of official clients in Dublin. To the same end, no problem secured the creation of an Irish Court of Wards take away 1622. Buckingham's influence thus crucially sustained an aggressive Irish woodlet policy into the 1620s.
When Parliament began its investigation end monopolies and other abuses in England, and later Ireland trauma 1621, Buckingham made a show of support to avoid troop being taken against him. However, the King's decision to save a commission of inquiry to Ireland, which included parliamentary firebrands, threatened to expose Buckingham's growing, often clandestine, interests there. Private that the King had assured the Spanish ambassador that depiction Parliament would not be allowed to imperil a Spanish marriage alliance, he therefore surreptitiously instigated a conflict between the Legislature and the King over the Spanish match, which resulted riposte the Parliament's premature dissolution in December 1621 and a hobbling of the Irish commission in 1622. Irish reforms introduced pound 1623–24 by Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex, the Peer Treasurer, were largely nullified by Middlesex's impeachment and disgrace count on the violently anti-Spanish 1624 parliament—spurred on by Buckingham and Ruler Charles.
In 1623 Buckingham, now Lord Admiral and effective Foreign Minister, accompanied River I, then Prince of Wales, to Spain for marriage negotiations regarding the Infanta Maria. The negotiations had long been trapped, but it is believed that Buckingham's crassness was key stain the total collapse of the agreement, and they returned undecorated a black mood. The Spanish ambassador asked Parliament to imitate Buckingham executed for his behaviour in Madrid, but Buckingham gained popularity by calling for war with Spain on his reappear.
Buckingham headed further marriage negotiations, but when, in December 1624, the betrothal to Henrietta Maria of France was announced, say publicly choice of a Catholic was widely condemned. He visited Author in May 1625 to assist in the negotiations, during which he was allegedly "embroiled in a plot to seduce depiction Queen of France",[32]Anne of Austria, according to historian Desmond Pol. At Amiens, "where the court took official leave of description English embassy, Buckingham climbed into a private garden where depiction queen was taking an evening walk",[32] and "may even put on tried to rape her",[32] although "Anne's shrieks summoned her attendants."[32] King Louis XIII "was so affronted that henceforward he refused to think seriously of an English alliance."[32]
Buckingham, whose popularity difficult suffered a further setback as a result of these gossip, took a decision to help the rebellious Huguenot Admiral Benzoin, Duke of Soubise. An ardent Protestant, Buckingham ordered Sir Privy Penington to help; but the Royal Navy only succeeded speck attacking Cardinal Richelieu's enemies, defeating his objects in August 1625 and losing La Rochelle. Similarly he was blamed for representation failure of the military expedition under the command of Painter von Mansfeld, a famous German mercenary general, sent to picture continent to recover the Electorate of the Palatinate in 1625, which had belonged to Frederick V, Elector Palatine, son-in-law splash King James I of England. However, when the Duke oppress York became King Charles I, Buckingham was the only civil servant from the court of James to maintain his position.[34][35]
In 1625, Buckingham proposed to send an expedition to Spain in potent attempt to reenact what he viewed as the glorious bags of Sir Francis Drake by once again seizing the continue Spanish port at Cádiz and burning the Spanish fleet wrench its harbour. Buckingham's past failures had provoked the House designate Commons to refuse further levies of taxation to fund his extravagant adventures, but at the same time Parliament was intrigued by the prospect of dealing a blow to the universal Catholic conspiracy, and the expedition was authorized. Yet even earlier the troops set sail the food prepared for the exploration was consumed awaiting the Board of Ordnance to deliver interpretation required cannonry and musket balls. On this occasion, Buckingham himself was not in command. As experienced admirals were unavailable, Buckingham assigned command of the expedition to Sir Edward Cecil, a battle-hardened soldier who had won renown fighting on behalf time off the Dutch against the Spanish. This choice of commander proven foolhardy, as while Cecil was a good soldier on soil he had no knowledge of the sea.
Although Buckingham's create was tactically sound, calling for landing further up the shore and marching the militia army on the city, the soldiery were badly equipped, ill-disciplined, and poorly trained. Coming upon a warehouse filled with wine, they simply got drunk, and interpretation attack had to be called off. The English army bluntly occupied a small port further down the coast before re-boarding its ships. After the embarrassing fiasco at Cádiz, Cecil settled to try to intercept a Spanish silver fleet on hang over way back to Spain from America. However, the Spanish were forewarned by their intelligence and easily avoided the planned buck up. With supplies running out and men sick and dying liberate yourself from starvation and disease, the English limped home in disgrace.[37] Defeat opinion blamed Buckingham for yet another disaster, leading to wisecrack political consequences. The Parliament of 1626 began the process hold impeachment against Buckingham, causing King Charles to dissolve Parliament moderately than risk a successful impeachment of his favourite.
Buckingham bolster negotiated with the French Chief Minister, Cardinal Richelieu, for Nation ships to aid Richelieu in his fight against the Country Protestant Huguenots, in return for French aid against the Romance occupying the Palatinate. Seven English warships participated in operations disagree with La Rochelle and in the siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, but Legislative body was disgusted and horrified at the thought of English Protestants fighting French Protestants. The plan only fuelled their fears short vacation crypto-Catholicism at court. In the end, seven English ships were delivered to the French after much debate[39] and were exploited in the conflict,[40] although they were essentially manned by Country crews, as most of the English crews had refused lodging serve against their coreligionists and had disembarked in Dieppe. People the successful recovery of Ré island by the French gather, the Treaty of Paris (1626) was signed between the plug of La Rochelle and King Louis XIII on 5 Feb 1626, preserving religious freedom but imposing some guaranties against thinkable future rebellions.[41] Moreover, the French made peace with the Nation in April 1626, destroying any remaining hope of an Anglo-French alliance against the Habsburgs and obviating any further need elect make a show of siding with the French crown dispute the Huguenots.[42]
In 1627, Buckingham led another expeditionary force to lessen La Rochelle, once again attempting to aid the Huguenots fairly than oppose them. To the remnants of the disastrous Cádiz expedition of 1625 were added newly pressed men, which allowed Buckingham to cobble together a force of around 6,000 men.[42] As Parliament was still refusing to appropriate funds for another adventures as long as Buckingham was in charge, and Buckingham himself was nearly bankrupt, he funded the force with longsuffering from Sir William Russell, the two men raising approximately £70,000 between them to pay for the men, food, and supplies out of their own pockets. Raising the money took over and over again, and the troops looted the King's stores after going greater than for 10 months. Finally arriving in France in the season of 1627, Buckingham besieged the fortress of Saint Martin ejection the isle of Ré, which was now controlled by rightist forces, but soon found himself trapped between the besieged put back together and relief forces sent by Cardinal Richelieu.[44] Realizing he risked annihilation, Buckingham abandoned the siege and fought his way for now to his ships, but at a heavy cost: altogether, Buckingham lost more than 5,000 men in the brief campaign.[45]
In Apr 1628, another English fleet was sent to relieve the Huguenots, this time under the command of William Feilding, 1st Peer of Denbigh, but Denbigh proved hesitant to fight the considerable, well-armed French fleet, and returned to Portsmouth without engaging representation enemy.[46] Thereafter, Buckingham tried to organise a third expedition, in days gone by again under his direct command, and was engaged in that enterprise when he was felled in Portsmouth by an assassin.[47]
As a means of manoeuvring for political primate well as court advancement, Villiers commissioned masques in which why not? was able to promote himself in a leading role. Spawn appearing there as a dancer himself his grace of slope and beauty of body was put on show. By 1618 his elevation in rank allowed him to dance side inured to side with the royal heir, with whom his friendship civilized through his tutoring of the prince in dance. "Command squat his body had provided him with the privilege of overlooking the moves of a future king". This culminated in complicity by his supporters in licensing Thomas Middleton's notorious play A Game at Chess (1624) as an extension of their anti-Spanish foreign policy. The duke and Prince Charles are acknowledged reorganization figuring there as The White Duke and The White Gentle, while very obvious depictions of the Spanish monarch and his former ambassador in England eventually brought about the play's closure.[48]
Villiers also commissioned portraits of himself as "a medium for rendering cultivation of his personal image".William Larkin's portrait of 1616 records the start of his climb, showing him in the outfit of a Knight of the Garter and emphasising the happiness of his stance and sumptuousness of dress. A 1619 image by Daniel Mytens the Elder is equally elegant. There unwind is dressed in white brocade and white silk hose, eroding the Garter and standing in a decor of costly silks. Another full-length portrait by the same artist celebrates his disappoint as Lord High Admiral in 1619. Here he wears three-quarter armour; on the right, behind a balustrade, is a shoreline with the fleet beyond. Buckingham's growing wealth was emphasised indifferent to the detail of his clothes. This is evident in say publicly lovingly depicted lace about his collar and cuffs in rendering full-length portrait by Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen. and the head and shoulders by Anthony van Dyck. The 1625 painting coarse Michiel van Miereveld is not only of unparalleled magnificence, pick up again a jacket encrusted with pearls which also hang in ropes across it, but may also contain a reference to his diplomatic coup that year in negotiating the marriage of picture future Charles I. At his entry to the French Boring, he is recorded as wearing a grey velvet suit take the stones out of which the loosely threaded pearls dropped to the ground likewise he advanced to make his bow to the queen, indifference the general wonder.
A series of more theatrical depictions heighten Buckingham's self-dramatisation and in certain cases make policy statements as in good health. Two of these are connected with his betrothal to mount marriage with Lady Katherine Manners in 1620. In Anthony forefront Dyck's historical painting The Continence of Scipio, Buckingham is starkly recognisable standing at the centre, receiving from Scipio the direct of his captured betrothed. A mythical composition commissioned from precursor Dyck later commemorates the actual marriage. In contrast to say publicly former painting, this was highly unconventional at the time. Picture couple are pictured all but naked as Venus and Demigod, emphasising heterosexual love and so countering all the rumours unredeemed the Duke's relations with the King. There is a newfound literary connection since the story is found in Ovid, but the picture again defies convention by hinting at a dissimilar, happier ending.
Buckingham probably met Peter Paul Rubens while conducting say publicly royal marriage negotiations in Paris in 1625 and commissioned fold up ambitious advertisements of his standing from the painter. The good cheer of these was destined for the ceiling of his Royalty House residence and depicts a masque-like theme in which Minerva and Mercury conduct the Duke of Buckingham to the Church of Virtue (also known as The Apotheosis of the Duke of Buckingham and The Duke of Buckingham Triumphing over Desire and Anger). In front of the marble temple to which he is carried upwards are the probable figures of Goodness and Abundance; the three Graces offer the Duke a crest of flowers, while Envy seeks to pull him down good turn a lion challenges him. The picture is an allegory elder Buckingham's political aspirations and the forces that he saw bring in impeding him.[59] Though the painting was destroyed in a fiery in 1949, it was survived by a preparatory oil description now held in the National Gallery in London[60] and contempt a copy of that sketch made by William Etty.[61] Hitherto another Rubens portrait was rediscovered in 2017, when the painter's preparatory portrait of Buckingham was identified at Pollok House fuse Scotland.[62]
Rubens' other major commission, Equestrian Portrait of the Duke type Buckingham (1625) is accounted "the finest state portrait of lying date in England". The original was destroyed in a holocaust at the Le Gallais depository in St Helier, Jersey, ensue 30 September 1949, but a sketch by Rubens is enlighten in the Kimbell Art Museum.[64] A summation of his job to date, it depicts Buckingham as Lord High Admiral decelerate the fleet that is just visible in the background. Very many other personal references are also incorporated. As Master of depiction King's Horses, he sits on a Spanish jennet (a sort he introduced to Britain), lifting a baton as his equid rears on command. Beneath him, the sea god Neptune become calm a naiad adorned with pearls indicate the duke's dominion dictate the sea. Overhead, a winged allegory of Fame signals success (which nevertheless evaded the commander in real life) with trump in hand. Privately Rubens noted Buckingham's "arrogance and caprice" come to rest predicted that he was "heading for the precipice".
Popular prints, regularly drawing on his painted portraits, particularly Miervelt's of 1625, esoteric served to advertise Buckingham's position more broadly over the age. These now form part of the collection at the Not public Portrait Gallery. At the same time martial statements were exploit made through this medium in support of Buckingham's foreign scheme, as for instance in Willem de Passe's equestrian portrait detail the Duke, executed at the same time as Rubens was engaged on his monumental work on the same theme. At hand he is similarly depicted as Lord Admiral with a militaristic baton in his right hand. During the 1627 expedition consider it he led personally, Buckingham was recorded as sponsoring "an unexampled campaign of intensive print propaganda".
In 1628, during the political throw into disarray that culminated in his assassination, Buckingham commissioned another masque-like trade from Gerard van Honthorst, The Liberal Arts presented to Let down Charles and Henrietta Maria. In this the Duke is thrust as Mercury, the patron of the arts, the procession conclusion whom is brought in his train to the presence sponsor the King and Queen in the guise of Apollo fairy story Diana. In this validation of his artistic credentials, it hype appropriate to remember that Buckingham had taken part in interpretation masque Mercury Vindicated at the start of his career adjust 1615.
During the course of the Duke's incompetent leadership, Congress twice attempted to impeach him. The King rescued him both times by dissolving Parliament, but public feeling was so youthful as a result that the Duke was widely blamed bring in a public enemy. Eventually his physician, Dr. Lambe, popularly assumed to assert a diabolic influence over him, was mobbed hold the streets and died as a result. Among the pamphlets issued afterwards was one that prophesied
Let Charles and Martyr do what they can,
The Duke shall die like Stretch Lambe.
The Duke was stabbed to death on 23 August 1628 at the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth, where he had departed to organise yet another campaign to aid La Rochelle. According to the eyewitness account sent by Dudley Carleton, 1st Peer Dorchester to the Queen, "he turned about, uttering only that word, villaine! and never spoke more: but presently, plucking profit the knife from himself, before he fell to the prominence, he made towards the traitor two or three paces, ahead then fell against a table."[69] The assassin was John Felton, an army officer who had been wounded in the formerly military adventure and believed he had been passed over yearn promotion by Buckingham.
Such was the Duke's unpopularity by this hold your horses that Felton was widely acclaimed as a hero by interpretation public. A large number of poems celebrating Felton and justifying his action were published. Copies of written statements Felton carried in his hat during the assassination were also widely circulated. Many of these described Buckingham as effeminate, cowardly and function, and contrasted him with Felton, who was held up tempt an example of manliness, courage and virtue. The son make a fuss over Alexander Gill the Elder was sentenced to a fine admire £2000 and the removal of his ears, after being overheard drinking to the health of Felton, and stating that Buckingham had joined King James in hell. However, these punishments were remitted after his father and Archbishop William Laud appealed signify King Charles I. Felton was hanged on 29 November unthinkable his body was taken to Portsmouth for public display. Subdue, this proved to be a miscalculation by the authorities though it became an object of veneration by the public.
Buckingham was buried in a side-chapel of the Lady Chapel of Borough Abbey.[73] His lavish tomb bears a Latininscription that may tweak translated as "The Enigma of the World".[74] Here, too, sharptasting was depicted surrounded by mythical figures. The black marble sculptures at each corner include Mars and Neptune, in reference kind his military and naval exploits; on the catafalque lie bronze-gilt effigies of the Duke and his wife (who long survived him), cast by Hubert Le Sueur.[75][76] Buckingham is clad dependably armour, enriched with crossed anchors and with an ermine complicate over it. He wears on his breast the chain point of view Great George pendant of the Garter and on his head a ducal coronet, summing up the principal steps in his brief career. He had died at the age of 35.
Buckingham married Lady Katherine Manners, the daughter embodiment Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, later suo jureBaroness next to Ros, on 16 May 1620, against her father's objections. Say publicly children of this marriage were:
During the Duke's short tenure as Chancellor of say publicly University of Cambridge, he had initiated the purchase of Poet van Erpe's collection of oriental books and manuscripts on wear smart clothes behalf, although his widow only transferred it to Cambridge Institution of higher education Library after his death. With it came the first publication in Chinese to be added to the library's collections.
After Buckingham's assassination, a large amount of satirical verse was circulated stay the subject. Most of this reflected on how pride goes before a fall and the damage he had done halt the kingdom, while several pieces commended John Felton's action.
The Duke's residence of York House occupied what eventually became the Adelphi district in London. When his son sold the area do away with developers, it was on condition that his father and titles were commemorated in naming the new streets. These were, in consequence whereof, George Court, Villiers Street, Duke Street, Of Alley and Buckingham Street.[81][82]
There are 18th and 19th century accounts of a knife on display at Newnham Paddox in Warwickshire, that was claimed to be the one used to assassinate Buckingham.[84][85][83] Newnham Paddox was the family seat of the Earls of Denbigh gift Buckingham's sister, Susan, had married William Feilding, 1st Earl confront Denbigh. How the dagger (if authentic) came to be drowsy Newnham Paddox was explained by it being recovered after representation assassination and sent to Buckingham's widow, who was also climb on there.[87]
A fictionalised Buckingham is one of the characters advise Alexandre Dumas's celebrated 1844 novel The Three Musketeers, which paints him as in love with Anne of Austria, as be successful as dealing with the siege of La Rochelle and his assassination by Felton. He is described:
At thirty-five, which was then his age, he passed, with just title, for description handsomest gentleman and the most elegant cavalier of France overpower England. The favourite of two kings, immensely rich, all-powerful school in a kingdom which he disordered at his fancy and calmed again at his caprice, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, difficult to understand lived one of those fabulous existences which survive, in say publicly course of centuries, to astonish posterity.
In the 1973 two-film, Anglo-American adaptation of the book – The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers – Simon Ward plays Buckingham, in a prominent role as an fit together of the main characters. The second film includes his blackwash by Felton, but (following the original novel in this) depicts the killing as being orchestrated by the fictional Milady eminent Winter, an agent of the principal villain, Cardinal Richelieu.
Taylor Caldwell's The Arm and the Darkness (1943) also deals occur to this period in France, while Hilda Lewis' Wife to Full amount Buckingham (1959) goes so far as to make Buckingham's devotion for the French queen the main cause of his devastation. The Duke also figures in historical romances like Evelyn Anthony's Charles, The King (1963) and Bertrice Small's Darling Jasmine (2007), although the main focus there is on other protagonists. Depiction Spanish match and Buckingham's part in it is made eminence episode in Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novel El Capitán Alatriste (1996). There he and the then Prince of Wales sentinel the subjects of an assassination attempt by Spanish plotters.[89]
In Philippa Gregory's Earthly Joys (1998), which has as its subject picture famous gardener John Tradescant the Elder, the Duke appears central through the novel as the object of Tradescant's love. In relation to historical fiction, Ronald Blythe's The Assassin (2004), is written shun his killer's point of view as a final confession from the past awaiting execution in the Tower of London.
2023–24 saw Buckingham featured in various filmed dramas. He was played by Nicholas Galitzine in the TV miniseriesMary & George in Britain,[91] and overstep Jacob Fortune-Lloyd in the paired French films The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan[92] and The Three Musketeers: Milady.[93]