Dear Folk,
On August 23, 1628, a royal cupbearer made Admiral and Duke, was assassinated and most of England rejoiced.
George Villiers, the second son of Sir George Villiers, was born August 20, 1592 at Brooksby, Leicestershire. He came to the court of James I in 1614, a young English lad of twenty-two. James became smitten with George and made him his cupbearer (don't ask) and his private secretary. James was tiring of another aging young lad, Robert Carr, who threatened to "spill the beans" on James' rather acute interest in, shall we say, unusual practices. In 1615 Carr was disgraced and sent to prison. James I then struck up a very strong friendship with George. James was 48.
In 1616 he was knighted by his grateful King and then raised to the peerage as Viscount Villiers created marquis of Buckingham. He was then raised to Earl of Buckingham in 1617, and Marquis in 1618. We have already talked about that he accompanied Prince Charles (later Charles I) on his wifely fishing expedition to Spain where they tried to get Charles hooked up to the Spanish infanta. It was during this absence that a lonesome James awarded George the title of Duke of Buckingham. He soon became the second wealthiest noble in England.
Okay, you might be saying, be snide about James and George. Would you like a quote from James I on it? Here you go:
"I am neither a god nor an angel but a man like any other, and confess to loving those dear to me more than other men. You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else . . . Christ had his John [so Christopher Marlowe had said], and I have my Steenie."
"Steenie?" James called George Villiers that because he resembled the St. Stephen in a stain glass window in the royal chapel. Letters went to and fro under these affectionate titles: from "your loving Dad", to "dear dog Steenie." You might check out a painting or two of young Buckingham. The boy had nice legs.
Due to Spain's refusal to allow a marriage of Charles with their royalty, Buckingham preached a war against those rude Spaniards. Of course, in the meantime, Buckingham arranged for Charles to marry Henrietta Maria, another Catholic princes, from France. Parliament was not at all happy with an active Catholic on the throne.
His power continued to increase until he became virtual ruler of England about 1624, a position he retained with the accession of Charles in 1625. Parliament distrusted and resented Buckingham, however, and used his disastrous military expedition to Cádiz while lord high admiral (he was awarded that in 1619) as an excuse to impeach him. To prevent a trial Charles dissolved Parliament.
On August 23, 1628 at the age of 36, George was about to sail off for an expedition to help rescue the Huguenots (Protestants) at La Rochelle. He had led an unsuccessful attempt the year before. As he was preparing to sail from Portsmouth, he was stabbed to death by a disgruntled subaltern, John Felton, resulting in general jubilation in London. He was none the less buried in Westminster Abbey, near the tomb of King James. The tomb bears the inscription "the Enigma of the World."
What have we learned from this? Kings can be very nice to folks they really like? With hard work, diligence and a great pair of legs, anyone can go far? Kings may do things openly for which lesser folks would be hanged for doing privately? Hmmm. Personally, I find it odd that those who most condemn homosexuality use a Bible with King James' name on the cover. No offense.
If you are out retrieving Huguenots or just driving your Yugo and somehow you want to send these missives out to someone else, please leave my name and sig. attached.
Bearing my own cup, thank you,
J. Ellsworth Weaver
SCA – Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS – Polyphemus Theognis
TRV – Sebastian Yeats