unclear

Chapter 994 The Duke of Buckingham

The Duke of Buckingham's full name is George Villiers. He was born during the reign of James I, the father of the current King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. His father was a minor nobleman and his mother Mary's family was a small landowner.

老乔治死的时候总共有5个儿子、5个女儿，其中2个儿子和4个女儿是前妻所生。在分配财产的时候，大部分庄园财产和爵位都被这6个孩子拿走了，玛丽带着4个孩子陷入了贫困。

But Mary was not discouraged, because her third son Villiers, although only 14 years old, had a good appearance, fair skin, tall stature and dark eyes.

In order to live a good life, even though life was difficult, Mary sold her only remaining jewelry and raised some money to send Villiers to the French court to learn the skills that aristocrats should have.

The then French Queen Mother strongly supported the development of culture, making Paris a capital of literature and art. Nobles from Britain and other European countries were proud to study in the French court for a period of time.

Villiers was very hardworking. He did not squander the money given by his mother. Instead, he studied hard for three years. With his handsome appearance and hard work, he became famous in the Paris court.

When he appeared in front of his mother again, he had become a tall and upright noble young man with perfect clothes and accessories, elegant manners, fluent French, and a sweet and charming smile.

But these alone were not enough to save the family's financial difficulties. If he wanted to stand out, he had to have thick legs. But where were the thick legs? Although he had fallen, he still had a few noble relatives, and he knew some of the rumors in the English court.

So Mary set her sights on King James I, not aiming too high, but aiming for the right target. Although the founder of the Stuart dynasty married a Danish princess and gave birth to eight children, he never changed his childhood habit of liking handsome men!

In 1614, 48-year-old James I met a handsome young man named George Villiers, 22 years old, at a horse race in Cambridgeshire.

He is tall and handsome, speaks fluent French, is also an excellent swordsman and elegant dancer, is knowledgeable and has a good understanding of clothing matching and the art of language.

"Oh, my heart was shot by Cupid, that boy is exactly what I imagined. From his fingernails... no, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, there is no flaw. His appearance, every movement, every bend of his body is pleasing to the eye."

This is what James I said after meeting Villiers, and then the young Villiers was selected to serve in the court as the king's cupbearer. This position is also called "cup butler", which means to pour wine for the king at the royal table, and take a sip in advance to prevent someone from poisoning the wine.

Although the position is not high or prominent, the cup defender has always been someone the king trusts very much and has frequent contact with the king, which meets Villiers' needs.

In less than a year, Villiers was named "Gentleman of the Bedchamber", whose duties included helping the monarch dress, serving him meals, guarding his bedroom and providing company. Don't underestimate this position that sounds similar to a servant. In fact, he already had a title and became a close minister of the king.

(The author would like to add a comment here. I don’t know if it’s a translation problem, but it sounds like playing house. Did such a title really exist in Europe in the 17th century?)

In 1616, Villiers was appointed as the king's horse master, and then he was promoted to baron, viscount, earl, marquis, Knight of the Garter, and finally Duke of Buckingham. It took him less than ten years to go from the son of a small country landowner to the top title! However, Villiers was very clear-headed and understood that all the glory and wealth depended on James I. Once the old king was gone, his glory would also be gone. In order to consolidate everything he had, he turned his attention to the crown prince Charles.

In 1623, the Crown Prince, accompanied by Villiers, made an eight-month visit to Spain, with the main goal of going to the Spanish Princess Maria. Unfortunately, he did not succeed, but during this period Villiers successfully captured the heart of the Crown Prince Charles, and the two became close friends.

Two years later, James I died in Hertfordshire with his beloved Duke of Buckingham at his bedside.

When Charles I ascended the throne, the Duke of Buckingham immediately became a favorite of the new king. Not only did he retain his title of duke, he also became Minister of Naval Warfare and de facto Foreign Secretary, and was extremely powerful.

Most people would become arrogant when they reach this position, and Villiers was no exception. He felt that he was not only good at socializing, but also a talent for governing a country, so he began to interfere in England's affairs.

At that time, Spain's power was showing signs of decline, and its maritime hegemony vanished with the destruction of the Invincible Armada. Villiers felt that the time had come and planned to further challenge the ruling position of the Habsburg family and seek more benefits for England.

In fact, it is not wrong to think so. Any European country that wants to rise cannot avoid the Habsburg families of Austria and Spain. To put it bluntly, it has to snatch food from their mouths.

But what should be robbed and how to rob are two completely different concepts. Although the Habsburg family was challenged in turn by the northern German princes, Denmark and Sweden, its strength was still very strong.

Villiers chose a land war, which naturally had a tragic outcome. Not only did the English army fail to recapture the Palatine, the territory of James I's son-in-law, but they were also badly defeated by the Spanish army.

This resulted in the relationship between Charles I and Parliament reaching a freezing point, with both sides accusing each other and refusing to give in. At this point, if Villiers had a bit of political sense, he would have chosen to be patient and try to find a way to bridge the rift between the king and Parliament.

But he did the opposite. In order to increase his bargaining chips for Charles I, he once again sent troops to interfere in France's internal affairs, trying to help French Protestants come to power in order to please the Protestant members of the English Parliament.

Then he failed again, and the French Protestant Huguenots were still defeated. This made the parliament intolerable, and decided to remove him from his position, cancel his title, and hold him accountable.

But Charles I did not agree, he believed that everything Villiers did was right and beneficial to maintaining his royal power, so he ordered the dissolution of Parliament to protect this favorite minister from harm.

With the king's support, Villiers felt that his luck would not be too bad. The previous failure was just because he chose the wrong way to fight. As long as he changed the land battle to a naval battle, he should be able to win.

(End of this chapter)