PeterRS Posted 12 hours ago Posted 12 hours ago A splendid new book featuring a gay historical figure who himself may not be very well known but who played a massive role in the life of a King. When Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne of England, the country was still torn between the two main religions: the long established Catholicism and the relatively new English version of Protestantism established by her father King Henry VIII. Those intent on ensuring the abolition of Catholicism had one basic fear: that there was a rival Catholic claimant to the throne of England. When Henry divorced Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn, some considered the marriage had never happened and therefore that child was illegitimate. When his two older children died young, the Protestant Elizabeth had been crowned Queen. Bear with me just a moment. Henry VIII had a sister and she had a son who was effectively the grandson of Henry VII. Some considered that his being male meant the grandson had a better claim to the throne of England. Scotland and England were still separate countries, each with its own royal family. Henry's sister had married the Catholic King James IV of Scotland. Their son became King James V of Scotland who went on to marry a French noblewoman, the very Catholic and well-connected Mary of Guise. They soon had a daughter whom they also named Mary. Poor Mary was just six days old when her father died and she became Queen. We know her today as the romantic figure Mary, Queen of Scots. Fearful of the spread of the new religion in Scotland, Mary's mother had her sent to the court in France. When just six she was betrothed to Francis, the son of the French King, and spent the next ten years in Paris after which she and Francis were married. The following year on the death of his father Francis became King and Mary was therefore Queen of both France and Scotland. But Francis had been a sickly child and he too died little more than a year later. He was just 16. The politics at the French court made it clear her presence was not desired in France. So she returned to her native Scotland. What she had not realised was that Scotland was in the process of becoming much more Protestant than Catholic. Still in her early 20s, she remarried and she had a son also named James. Years later she was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne and her son became King James VI of Scotland when aged just 13 months. But James was brought up as a Protestant and never wavered in his religious affiliation. He also never wavered in his preference for male company. Only with the necessary marriage to ensure the royal line did he seem to have feelings for his wife, Anne of Denmark. She too was frequently sickly but they did produce several children. In the meantime, Mary had taken a small army and marched on England. She was captured and when aged 44 Elizabeth had her executed. Since Elizabeth never married, thoughts turned to the accession. The only possible choice by now was Mary's son James VI. Thus history accords him the title: James the VIth and Ist. Before his marriage, word had been spreading about James lust for beautiful young men. When 15 he met his first love whom he created the Duke of Lennox. The "carnal lust" that seemed to feature between them had some other noblemen concerned. After a year they forced Lennox to leave Scoland. But James was surrounded by a group of page boys. A companion of the King since childhood, Richard Preston the Earl of Desmond, was with James when he moved to London as King of England. As with many of his favourites, James showered Preston with gifts and lavished honours on him. This started gossip about his relations with younger handsome men which covered effeminacy and same-sex desire. In 1607 aged 40 he happened to see the 20 year old aggressively handsome Robert Carr at a jousting contest and they started a relationship. James eventually created him Viscount Rochester and later to the more noble title of Earl of Somerset. He then promoted him to one of the highest offices in the land, Lord Chamberlain and showered him with gifts. But Carr got involved in a lurid murder case and was confined to the Tower of London for some years before James pardoned him. Even before Carr found his way to the Tower, James had fallen big time for another courtier. The last love of his life and by all accounts the most intense seems to have been 22 year old George Viliers. James by now was 48 and he fell head over heels for Villiers. James soon knighted him and over the next 8 years promoted him through the ranks of the peerage - successively as Baron, Viscount, then Earl, then Marquess and finally the highest in the land, a Dukedom. That they slept together is well documented. When Anne finally died in 1623, James wrote to the Duke to tell him he was looking foward to getting married to him at Christmas. Letters between the two still exist and are proof of the love they had for each other. These are not just the usual flowery letters between courtiers and a King. They express real love. They were constant companions. And it was known beyond the shores of England. The 17th century poet Theophile de Viau wrote in a poem " . . . And it is well known that the King of England Fucks the Duke of Buckingham." Earlier this century a secret tunel was discovered linking the bedroms of Buckingham and the King. When news of James death reached Buckingham in France, he broke down in tears. He continued as a more masculine advisor to James' son King Charles I until he was assassinated three years later aged 36. And the Court scandals of the day in addition to the politics of the time were to lead to the English Civil War which was to lead to the public execution of Charles I just 14 years later. This background forms the basis of a new book about the Duke - The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham by Lucy Hughes-Hallett. A kindle edition is available on amazon.com Quote
