George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham

His Grace
The Duke of Buckingham
KG
His Grace The Duke of Buckingham KG
	Portrait by Peter Paul Rubens, 1625
Master of the Horse
	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
Lord High Admiral
	In office; 28 January 1619 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	The Earl of Nottingham
Succeeded by	Board of Admiralty
Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire
	In office; 16 September 1616 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	Sir Francis Fortescue
Succeeded by	The Earl of Bridgewater
Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex
	In office; 6 May 1622 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	In commission
Succeeded by	The Earl of Dorset; The Earl of Holland
Lord Lieutenant of Kent
	In office; 31 May 1620 – 8 June 1620
Preceded by	The Lord Wotton
Succeeded by	The Duke of Lennox
Personal details
Born	28 August 1592; Brooksby, Leicestershire, England
Died	23 August 1628 (aged 35); Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Manner of death	Assassination
Resting place	Westminster Abbey
Spouse	Katherine Manners, Baroness de Ros
Children	Mary Stewart, Duchess of Richmond; Charles Villiers, Earl of Coventry; George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham; Francis Villiers, 1628–1648;
Parents	George Villiers; Mary Beaumont;
Relatives	Villiers family
Signature

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, KG (/ˈvɪlərz/ VIL-ərz; 28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628),^[1]^[2] was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" of King James VI and I.^[3]^[4] Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour for the first three years of the reign of James's son, King Charles I, until Villiers was assassinated.

Villiers was born in Brooksby, Leicestershire from a family of minor gentry. His ascent began notably in 1614 when, aged 21, he caught the attention of the king. Villiers' rise was facilitated by his physical beauty, charm, and talents such as dancing and fencing,^{[citation needed]} which were nurtured by his mother Mary, a widow who aimed to see her son succeed at court. His achievements include being knighted and climbing the ranks of nobility, eventually becoming the Duke of Buckingham. Villiers was the last in a succession of handsome young favourites on whom the king lavished affection and patronage. The pair were often accused of sodomy^[5] and most historians today believe the relationship was sexual in nature.^[6]^[7]

Villiers' influence extended beyond the king's favour; he played a significant role in political and military affairs, including the negotiation of royal marriages and leading military expeditions. His tenure as Lord High Admiral and de facto foreign minister was marked by a series of failed military campaigns, such as the ill-fated expedition to Cádiz, which damaged his reputation and public image. Buckingham's assassination in 1628 by John Felton, a disgruntled army officer, highlighted the extent of his unpopularity among the public.

^ Montague-Smith 1970, p. 409.
^ Debrett's 2011.
^ "13", The Western Heritage (8th ed.), p. 420^{[full citation needed]}
^ Bergeron, David M. (2002). "4: George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham". King James and Letters of Homoerotic Desire. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. ISBN 978-1587292729.
^ Perry, Curtis (2000). "The Politics of Access and Representations of the Sodomite King in Early Modern England". Renaissance Quarterly. 53 (4): 1054–1083. doi:10.2307/2901456. ISSN 0034-4338. JSTOR 2901456.
^ "Filled with 'a number of male lovelies': the surprising court of King James VI and I". BBC. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
^ Painter, Sean T. (2015). "Rex Fuit Elizabeth: Nunc Est Regina Jacobus (Elizabeth Was King Now James Is Queen)" (PDF). The Chico Historian. 25. California State University, Chico: 16.

[FOOTNOTEMontague-Smith1970409-1] Montague-Smith 1970, p. 409.

[FOOTNOTE''Debrett's''2011-2] Debrett's 2011.

[3] "13", The Western Heritage (8th ed.), p. 420^{[full citation needed]}

[4] Bergeron, David M. (2002). "4: George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham". King James and Letters of Homoerotic Desire. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. ISBN 978-1587292729.

[Perry-5] Perry, Curtis (2000). "The Politics of Access and Representations of the Sodomite King in Early Modern England". Renaissance Quarterly. 53 (4): 1054–1083. doi:10.2307/2901456. ISSN 0034-4338. JSTOR 2901456.

[Dabiri-6] "Filled with 'a number of male lovelies': the surprising court of King James VI and I". BBC. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2024.

[STP-7] Painter, Sean T. (2015). "Rex Fuit Elizabeth: Nunc Est Regina Jacobus (Elizabeth Was King Now James Is Queen)" (PDF). The Chico Historian. 25. California State University, Chico: 16.

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His Grace The Duke of Buckingham KG
Portrait by Peter Paul Rubens, 1625

Master of the Horse
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
Lord High Admiral
In office 28 January 1619 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	The Earl of Nottingham
Succeeded by	Board of Admiralty
Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire
In office 16 September 1616 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	Sir Francis Fortescue
Succeeded by	The Earl of Bridgewater
Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex
In office 6 May 1622 – 23 August 1628
Preceded by	In commission
Succeeded by	The Earl of Dorset The Earl of Holland
Lord Lieutenant of Kent
In office 31 May 1620 – 8 June 1620
Preceded by	The Lord Wotton
Succeeded by	The Duke of Lennox

Personal details
Born	(1592-08-28)28 August 1592 Brooksby, Leicestershire, England
Died	23 August 1628(1628-08-23) (aged 35) Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Manner of death	Assassination
Resting place	Westminster Abbey
Spouse	Katherine Manners, Baroness de Ros
Children	Mary Stewart, Duchess of Richmond Charles Villiers, Earl of Coventry George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham Francis Villiers, 1628–1648
Parents	George Villiers Mary Beaumont
Relatives	Villiers family
Signature