George Villiers, favorite of King James I of England, was one of the most influential political figures at the English court in the early 17th century. Born in 1592 to a modest family in Leicestershire, he caught the King’s attention through his charm and elegance. Supported by powerful courtiers he rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a knight in 1615 and Duke of Buckingham in 1623.
Under King James I he accumulated numerous titles and wielded considerable power over the kingdom’s politics. After James’s death in 1625 he maintained his influence under Charles I, becoming his chief advisor. He played a central role in diplomacy and military affairs, notably involving himself in wars against Spain and France.
However, his ambition and authoritarian style earned him many enemies both in Parliament and the army. His disastrous expedition to the Isle of Ré in 1627, aimed at supporting French Protestant rebels in La Rochelle against Richelieu, further damaged his reputation. Ultimately, in 1628, he was assassinated in Portsmouth by John Felton, an officer frustrated by Buckingham’s military failures.
A flamboyant and controversial figure, Buckingham marked his era by his meteoric rise and his central role in the tensions between the English monarchy and Parliament that would lead to the Civil War a few years after his death.
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