by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a courtier and favorite of King James I of England and his son King Charles I until a disgruntled army officer assassinated him, was born on August 28, 1592, in Brooksby, Leicestershire, England. George was the second of the three sons and the second of the four children of Sir George Villiers (circa 1544 – 1606) and his second wife Mary Beaumont (circa 1570 – 1632).

George had three siblings:

• Susan Villiers (1589 – 1652), married William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, had five children
• John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck (circa 1590 – 1657), married Frances Coke, no children
• Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey (died 1630), married Elizabeth Sheldon, had two children

George had five half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Audrey Saunders who died in 1588:

• Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet (circa 1575 – 1629), married (1) Anne Griffin, no children (2) Anne Fiennes, had one child (3) Rebecca Roper, had three children
• Sir Edward Villiers (circa 1585 – 1626) married Barbara St. John, had ten children, grandparents of Barbara Villiers,1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress of King Charles II
• Elizabeth Villiers (died 1654), married John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield, had eight children
• Frances Villiers, unmarried
• Anne Villiers (born 1588), married Sir William Washington (elder brother of Lawrence Washington, the great-great-grandfather of George Washington), had two children

Sir George Villiers, George’s father, was a well-to-do sheep farmer. He was High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1591, knighted in 1593, and a Member of Parliament from 1604 until he died in 1606. George’s mother Mary Beaumont was a poor cousin of her husband but she had ambitions for her second son George. She recognized that he had potential and found the funds to send George to the French court where he learned courtly skills and improved his French. When George returned from France, Mary provided him with a suitable wardrobe and sent him to the English court in 1614 where he quickly became the new favorite of King James I. As George rose, his mother, his siblings, and his half-siblings rose along with him. In 1618, King James I retorted that he lived to no other end but to advance the Villiers family.

King James I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1615, George was knighted and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He became Master of the Horse in 1616, was raised to the peerage as Baron Whaddon, Viscount Villiers, and was made a Knight of the Garter. In 1619, George was made Lord High Admiral of England. In 1617, George was created Earl of Buckingham and climbed the steps of peerage when he was created Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, and Duke of Buckingham in 1623.

George’s mother Mary chose Katherine Manners, the only surviving child of Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, and the richest woman in England, to marry George. However, because Katherine was Catholic, King James I refused to allow the marriage, and Katherine’s father refused to accept the demands for an extremely lucrative dowry. Katherine did convert to the Church of England which greatly upset her father. George’s mother Mary entrapped Katherine into the marriage by arranging for her to spend the night under the same roof as George, ruining her reputation, and leaving her family with no choice but to allow her to marry George. George and Katherine married on May 16, 1620.

George and Katherine with their daughter Mary and son George; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Katherine had four children:

• Mary Villiers (1622 – 1685), married (1) Charles Herbert, Lord Herbert, no children (2) James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox, had two children (3) Colonel Thomas Howard, no children
• Charles Villiers, Earl of Coventry (1625 – 1627), died in childhood
• George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628 – 1687), married Mary Fairfax, no children
• Lord Francis Villiers (1629 – 1648), unmarried, died in a skirmish at Kingston during the Second English Civil War

Whether the personal relationship between King James I and his male favorites was a sexual one is still debated by historians. Some historians think that James I’s need for a close male favorite came from a lack of family while growing up in Scotland where he became King of Scots when he was one year old. James I did not know his parents Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots and he had no siblings. His maternal grandparents died before he was born. His paternal grandfather died while James was still a boy and his paternal grandmother lived in England. James I compared his love for George to Jesus’ love of his apostle John when he spoke to his Privy Council about rumors in 1617: “You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George.”

King Charles I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

George was King James I’s constant companion and closest advisor until the king died. George greatly influenced James I’s son and successor, the future King Charles I, while he was Prince of Wales. By 1624, an increasingly ill James I was finding it difficult to control Parliament. Before King James I died in March 1625, Charles and George had already assumed de facto control of England. At the end of King James I’s reign and the beginning of King Charles I’s reign, George had a number of diplomatic and military failures that caused Parliament to refuse to fund any more of his endeavors. Parliament then attempted to impeach George twice but King Charles I rescued him by dissolving Parliament both times. George was widely considered a public enemy by the English people. George’s physician Dr. Lambe, popularly supposed to have an evil influence on him, was killed by a mob in the street. A pamphlet published after Dr. Lambe’s death said:

Let Charles and George do what they can
The Duke shall die like Doctor Lambe

 John Felton (1595 – 1628) had been an army officer and had submitted petitions to the Privy Council over two matters, back pay he believed he was owed, and his promotion to captain, which he believed he had been unfairly denied. He was unsuccessful in resolving these matters and believed George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham was responsible. Felton further believed that his grievances against George were part of George’s treacherous and wicked influence on the English government. He decided to kill George and traveled to Portsmouth where he knew George was staying.

Embed from Getty Images 
Assassination of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham

On August 23, 1628, George was staying at the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth, England while planning another military campaign. After having breakfast, George left the inn. John Felton made his way through the crowd that surrounded George and stabbed the 35-year-old Duke of Buckingham in the chest with a dagger, killing him. Felton could have escaped in the resulting chaos but instead, expecting to be well received, he confessed to the gathering crowd. He was immediately arrested, and taken before a judge who sent him to London for interrogation. Because of the unpopularity of the Duke of Buckingham, Felton’s deed received widespread approval and was celebrated in poems and pamphlets. After being tried and found guilty, John Felton was hanged on November 29, 1628, at Tyburn, the principal place for execution in London.

Embed from Getty Images
The Chapel of St. Nicholas at Westminster Abbey where George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham is buried

King Charles I ordered George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham to be buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England in the Chapel of St. Nicholas which had previously been reserved for those only of royal descent.  A lavish tomb of black and white marble and bronze was constructed by his widow in 1634 with an effigy of George and his wife Katherine although she is not buried there. Katherine succeeded to one of her father’s titles Baron de Ros of Helmsley upon his death in 1632, becoming the 18th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley in her own right. She married for a second time to Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim in 1635, and went to live at Dunluce Castle in County Antrim, Ireland. Katherine survived her first husband by twenty-one years, dying in Waterford, Ireland, probably of the plague. She was buried in Waterford but there is a memorial to her in Westminster Abbey.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Villiers (Died 1606). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Villiers_(died_1606)> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Villiers, 1St Duke Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Villiers,_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. John Felton (Assassin). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Felton_(assassin)> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Katherine Villiers, Duchess Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Villiers,_Duchess_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Mary Villiers, Countess Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Villiers,_Countess_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Personal Relationships Of James VI And I. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_relationships_of_James_VI_and_I#George_Villiers.2C_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

An ancestor of Queen Camilla, Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle was born in Zutphen, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. He was christened on January 30, 1670, so it can be assumed he was probably born shortly before his christening. His parents were Osewolt van Keppel, Lord of Voorst (1630 – 1685) and Reinira Anna Geertruida van Lintelo (1638 – 1700). The van Keppel family is of old Gelderland nobility.

Arnold had at least one brother:

• Jan Rabo van Keppel (circa 1665-1733), married Cornelia Mechteld Van Lynden, had at least one son

King William III of England, also Willem III, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

Sometime in his teens, possibly as early as 1685, Arnold became a page of honor to Willem III, Prince of Orange. Willem III was the only child of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, who was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. In 1677, Willem III married his first cousin the future Queen Mary II of England, the elder of the two surviving children, both daughters, of the future King James II of England and his first wife Anne Hyde. Being the grandson of King Charles I of England, Willem III was also in the line of succession to the English throne and eventually co-reigned as King William III of England with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England. William and Mary came to power in England during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, following the birth of a Catholic heir James Francis Edward Stuart to Maria Beatrice of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, Mary’s father and Willem III’s uncle. When the new King William III of England, with his name anglicized as William, came to England, Arnold accompanied him as a member of his household. King William III remained Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic.

Arnold rose in royal favor and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber (1690 – 1695) in William III’s household. He copied William’s letters and spent many hours with the king, resulting in jealousy among some courtiers, particularly William’s long-time friend and favorite, and a fellow Dutchman, William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland.  William found Arnold to be better company because Bentinck, who had governmental duties, was always preoccupied with the affairs of state. In 1691, William returned to the Dutch Republic where a military meeting with his allies was planned in The Hague and Arnold accompanied him. During a hunting holiday with some of the meeting participants at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, Arnold was thrown from his horse and broke his leg. William was impressed that Arnold never complained about his pain and often visited him during his recovery.

Arnold began to receive favors and honors, both English and Dutch. In 1692, Arnold received from William, in his capacity as Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, the titles of Knight of Zutphen, Knight of Holland and West Friesland, and Lord van der Voorst. From 1695 – 1701, he served as William III’s Master of the Robes. Arnold was created an English peer by William in 1697 receiving the titles Earl of Albemarle, Viscount Bury, and Baron Ashford. He served as Captain and Colonel of His Majesty’s Own Troop of Horse Guards from 1699 – 1710 and in 1700, he was created a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, who was Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and a Privy Councilor, continued to be jealous of Arnold, and because of this, in 1700, he resigned all his offices in the royal household. However, he never lost the esteem of King William III who continued to trust him and use him as an advisor, and it was in the arms of Bentinck that William III took his last breath in 1702.

Gertrude van Keppel, Countess of Albemarle; Credit – www.thepeerage.com

On July 10, 1701, Arnold married Geertruida van der Duyn (1674 – 1741) in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. Her father Adam van der Duyn, Lord of ‘s-Gravenmoer (1639 – 1693) was a Major-General in the Dutch Army and Master of the Buckhounds to King William III. King William III gave the couple his blessing and provided the bride with a dowry and jewels.

Arnold and his wife, whose name was anglicized to Gertrude, had two children:

• William van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle (1702 – 1754), married Lady Anne Lennox, daughter of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, had over fifteen children with six surviving to adulthood
• Lady Sophia van Keppel (1716 – 1773), married General John Thomas, had at least two sons

On February 20, 1702, King William III went riding at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. A week after the fall, the fracture was not healing well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right which probably meant an infection developed. His condition continued to worsen and by March 3, William had a high fever and had difficulty breathing. By March 7, the doctors knew that William was dying and he began to say goodbye to his friends and advisors. In early February 1702, William III had sent Arnold to the Dutch Republic to plan for the upcoming military campaign, and he only returned in time to receive William’s farewell. William gave Arnold the keys to his cabinet and private drawers, and said, “You know what to do with them.” On March 8, 1702, William III died. William bequeathed to Arnold the huge sum of 200,000 guilders and the Dutch Lordship of Breevorst.

After William’s death, Arnold returned to the Dutch Republic and took his seat as a member of the nobility in the States-General, the legislature of the Dutch Republic. He was one of the two commanders of the Dutch forces in the Grand Alliance’s campaigns during the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714). John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, the Grand Alliance commander, who had been on good terms with Arnold, expressed pleasure at his rejoining the allied army. In 1705, Arnold visited England and attended Queen Anne on a visit to Cambridge University, where he received the honorary degree of doctor of laws. On the death of Queen Anne in 1714, Arnold was sent to the Electorate of Hanover by the States-General to congratulate the new King George I on his accession to the British throne. Both Queen Anne and King George I held Arnold in high esteem.

Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, aged 48, died on May 30, 1718, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, and was buried in The Hague.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_van_Keppel,_1st_Earl_of_Albemarle> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
• En.wikisource.org. 2021. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Keppel, Arnold Joost van – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Keppel,_Arnold_Joost_van> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
• Genealogics.org. 2021. Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle : Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00005350&tree=LEO> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
• Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Arnold Joost van Keppel. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Joost_van_Keppel> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
• Thepeerage.com. 2021. Person Page – Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle. [online] Available at: <https://www.thepeerage.com/p1684.htm#i16835> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
• Van Der Kiste, John, 2003. William and Mary. Phoenix Hill: Sutton Publishing.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland was born Hans Willem Bentinck on July 20, 1649, in Diepenheim, Overijssel, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. He was the fourth of the eight children and the third of the three sons of Berent Bentinck, 6th Baron Bentinck (1597 – 1668) and Anna van Bloemendale (1622 – 1685). The Bentinck family is an old Dutch noble family whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century.

Bentinck had seven siblings:

• Hendrik Bentinck, 7th Baron Bentinck (1640 – 1691), married Ida Magdalena van Ittersum, had three daughters
• Eusebius Bentinck, 8th Baron Bentinck (1643 – 1710), married (1) Elizabeth de Brakell, had two sons and one daughter (2) Hendrina Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, no children, died two months after her wedding
• Eleonore Bentinck (1644 – 1710), married Robert van Ittersum, Baron Nijenhuis, no children?
• Isabelle Bentinck (1651 – 1687), married Alexander Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, Baron van De Engelenburg, no children, died five months after her wedding
• Anna Bentinck (1652 – 1721), married Dirk Borre van Amerongen, had two daughters
• Agnes Bentinck (1654 – 1722), unmarried?
• Johanna Bentinck (1597 – 1668), unmarried?

Willem III, Prince of Orange, 1661; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1664, fifteen-year-old Hans Willem Bentinck came to the court of fourteen-year-old Willem III, Prince of Orange, as a page. Willem III was the only child of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. Willem III’s father died at age 24 of smallpox eight days before Willem III’s birth, so when he was born on November 14, 1650, Willem III succeeded to his father’s titles. Being the grandson of King Charles I of England, Willem III was also in the line of succession to the English throne and eventually co-reigned as King William III of England with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England.

In 1672, Bentinck became Willem III’s chamberlain. Along with his role at the court where he was an important advisor for Willem III, Bentinck also had a military career. When Willem III became ill with smallpox in 1675, Bentinck cared for him for sixteen days. When Willem III recovered, Bentinck fell ill with smallpox but recovered in time to accompany Willem III on a military campaign that year. Sadly, smallpox caused much personal loss for Willem III. His father Willem II, Prince of Orange, his mother Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange, and his wife Queen Mary II of England all died from smallpox.

The future Queen Mary II of England in 1677; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1677, Bentinck was Willem III’s special envoy to England where he sought the support of Willem’s uncle King Charles II of England in the Dutch Republic’s struggle against France. At the same time, Bentinck negotiated a marriage for Willem III with his first cousin Mary, the elder surviving daughter of James, Duke of York, later King James II of England, and his first wife Anne Hyde. 27-year-old Willem and a weepy 15-year-old Mary, prodded on by their uncle King Charles II, were married at St. James’ Palace in London, England on November 4, 1677. Bentinck served as Willem III’s best man.

Bentinck’s first wife Anne Villiers; Credit – Wikipedia

Bentinck’s first wife Anne Villiers (circa 1651 – 1688) was the eldest child of Sir Edward Villiers and his wife Lady Frances Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk. Anne’s mother had been the governess to Willem III’s new wife Mary and her younger sister, the future Queen Anne, and she used her position at court to secure positions in Mary’s new household for her daughters. Anne Villiers and her sisters Elizabeth and Katherine, were among the maids of honor who accompanied Mary to The Hague in the Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, to serve the new Princess of Orange. The three Villiers sisters were the first cousins of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, born Barbara Villiers, a mistress of King Charles II of England. Their fathers were brothers.

Bentinck and Anne Villiers became acquainted and on February 1, 1678, they were married. They are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom through her mother’s family, specifically through her maternal grandmother born Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. Five months after giving birth to her last child, Anne died on November 30, 1688, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands.

Bentinck and Anne had seven children:

• Lady Mary Bentinck (1679 – 1726), married (1) Algernon Capell, 2nd Earl of Essex, had one son and two daughters (2) Sir Conyers D’Arcy, no children
• Willem Bentinck (1681 – 1688), died in childhood
• Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland (1682 – 1726), married Lady Elizabeth Noel, had two sons and three daughters
• Lady Anna Bentinck (1683 – 1763), married Arent van Wassenaar, Baron van Wassenaar, had at least one daughter
• Lady Frances Bentinck (1684 – 1712), married William Byron, 4th Baron Byron, had three sons and one daughter who all died in childhood
• Lady Eleonora Bentinck (1687 – ?)
• Lady Isabella Bentinck (1688 – 1728), married Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, had two daughters

Anne’s sister Elizabeth Villiers; Credit – Wikipedia

Anne’s sister Elizabeth Villiers became the mistress of Willem III, and reportedly, she was his only mistress. In 1679, when Willem III made his first advances to Elizabeth, she tried to discourage him. However, by 1680, Elizabeth was his mistress, rumors of the affair reached Paris, and Mary was probably aware of her husband’s relationship with Elizabeth. In 1685, Mary’s father, now King James II of England, hoping to break up his daughter’s marriage with Willem III, had encouraged others to relay gossip from Mary and Willem III’s household to him. Through the meddling of King James II, Elizabeth and Willem III’s affair became public knowledge and Elizabeth was sent back to England. To stop rumors continuing in England, Elizabeth’s father begged Willem III and Mary to allow Elizabeth to return to The Hague. Elizabeth was permitted to return but Mary refused to receive her. Elizabeth then went to live with her sister Katherine who had married and settled in The Hague. Bentinck had forbidden his wife Anne to socialize with her sister Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the affair between Elizabeth and Willem III continued and was to last until 1695, a total of fifteen years.

The Landing of His Royal Highness in England by Bastiaen Stopendael (Stoopendael), or by Daniel Stopendael (Stoopendael) etching, circa 1689 NPG D22617 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Following his initial visit to England in 1677, Bentinck was sent on many other diplomatic missions to England, resulting in the development of a strong and influential network of contacts within English political circles. As a result, Bentinck was to play a key role in the planning and execution of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, following the birth of a Catholic heir James Francis Edward Stuart to Maria Beatrice of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, Mary’s father and Willem III’s uncle. Willem III, Prince of Orange landed in England vowing to safeguard the Protestant interest. He marched to London, gathering many supporters. James II panicked and sent his wife and infant son to France. James later fled to France where his first cousin King Louis XIV of France offered him a palace and pension. Parliament refused to depose James II but declared that having fled to France, James had effectively abdicated the throne and therefore, the throne had become vacant. James’s elder daughter Mary was declared Queen Mary II and she was to rule jointly with her husband Willem, whose name would be anglicized to William. He would reign in England as King William III but he remained Willem III, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the  Dutch Republic.

Quartered arms of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, KG, PC; Credit – By Rs-nourse – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68789077

Having supported King William III throughout his efforts to secure the English throne, and after accompanying him to England, Bentinck was generously rewarded. Parliament passed an act of naturalization so that he and his children would be British subjects. He was created Earl of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, and Baron Cirencester. With these titles came significant estates, including Theobalds House in Hertfordshire, England. Bentinck was appointed Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and a Privy Councilor, and he remained William III’s closest advisor. In 1697, William III created Bentinck a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

In late December 1694, when Mary was very ill with smallpox, Bentinck was one of the two people William III would see. On December 28, 1694, Queen Mary II of England, aged only 32, died of smallpox at Kensington Palace. When Mary’s grief-stricken husband collapsed at her death bed, it was Bentinck who carried the nearly insensible William from the room.

Bentinck was responsible for overseeing affairs in Scotland and played an influential role in English politics. His main achievements were diplomatic. In 1697, Bentinck played a major role in securing the Treaty of Ryswick, ending the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697) between France and the Dutch Republic. He was active in addressing the crisis of the Spanish succession through the Treaty of The Hague (1698) and the Treaty of London (1700) and became William III’s ambassador to France.

Bentinck became very jealous of the rising influence of another Dutchman Arnold Joost van Keppel. Keppel was created Earl of Albemarle by William III and emerged as the second favorite. Because of this, in 1700, Bentinck resigned all his offices in the royal household. However, he never lost the esteem of King William III who continued to trust him and use him as an advisor.

Jane Martha Temple, Bentinck’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 12, 1700, 51-year-old Bentinck married again to 28-year-old Jane Martha Temple (1672 – 1751), daughter of Sir John Temple, and widow of John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton. He spent his final years consolidating his estates and adding to his family.

Bentinck and Jane had six children:

• Lady Sophia Bentinck (1701 – 1741), married Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent, had one son and one daughter
• Lady Elizabeth Bentinck (1703 – 1765), married Reverand The Honorable Henry Egerton, Bishop of Hereford, had five sons and one daughter
• The Honorable Willem Bentinck, 1st Count Bentinck (1704 – 1774), married Charlotte Sophie, Countess von Aldenburg, had two sons, the title of Count Bentinck of the Holy Roman Empire, was created for Willem as the second surviving son
• Lady Harriet Bentinck (1705 – 1792), married James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassill, had one son and one daughter
• The Honorable Charles Bentinck (1708 – 1779), who married Lady Margaret Cadogan, daughter of William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan, children ?
• Lady Barbara Bentinck (1709 – 1736), married Francis Godolphin, 2nd Baron Godolphin, no children

On February 20, 1702, King William III went riding at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. Bentinck called on William every day as he recovered. However, a week after the fall, the fracture was not healing well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right which probably meant an infection developed. His condition continued to worsen and by March 3, William had a high fever and had difficulty breathing. By March 7, the doctors knew that William was dying and he began to say goodbye to his friends and advisors. By the time Bentinck arrived on March 8, 1702, William had lost his power of speech but with a look, he beckoned Bentinck to his bedside. Bentinck bent down and put his ear to William’s mouth but could only distinguish a few words of William’s incoherent speech. William then took Bentinck’s hand and placed it against his heart. Then William’s head fell back, he closed his eyes, took two or three breaths, and died.

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland; Credit – Wikipedia

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, aged 60, died on November 23, 1709, at Bulstrode Park, one of his principal residences, in Buckinghamshire, England. He was buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England, in the Ormond Vault at the eastern end of Henry VII’s Chapel. He has no monument but his name and date of death were added to the vault stone in the late 19th century. The Ormond Vault is now located in the Royal Air Force Chapel at Westminster Abbey and a carpet permanently covers the vault-stone with the inscribed names.

Bentinck’s second wife Jane survived him by 42 years, dying on June 26, 1751, in London, England, at the age of 79. She was buried in the cemetery at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Walthamstow, London, England.

Ormond Vault at Westminster Abbey is located under the carpet; Credit – https://www.westminster-abbey.org

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bentinck,_1st_Earl_of_Portland> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Genealogics.org. 2021. Berent Bentinck, Heer van Diepenheim : Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00003344&tree=LEO> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Hans Willem Bentinck. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Willem_Bentinck> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Nottingham.ac.uk. 2021. Biography of Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) – The University of Nottingham. [online] Available at: <https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/collectionsindepth/family/portland/biographies/biographyofhanswilliambentinck,1stearlofportland(1649-1709).aspx> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Sir Hans Willem Bentinck, 1. and Diepenheim, N., 2021. Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] geni_family_tree. Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Hans-Willem-Bentinck-1st-Earl-of-Portland/6000000003265080482> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Thepeerage.com. 2021. Person Page – Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/p965.htm#i9646> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
• Van Der Kiste, John, 2003. William and Mary. Phoenix Hill: Sutton Publishing.
• Westminster Abbey. 2021. William & Henry Bentinck | Westminster Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/william-henry-bentinck> [Accessed 30 January 2021].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I but beheaded for treason, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the great-grandson of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and the stepson of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite. Born November 10, 1565, at Netherwood near Bromyard, Herefordshire, England. Robert was the eldest of the three sons and the eldest of the five children of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex (1541 – 1576), and Lettice Knollys (1543 – 1634). Robert’s father was an army general in service to Queen Elizabeth I. Robert’s mother Lettice Knollys was the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys, who was a courtier in the service of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Elizabeth I, and Catherine Carey. Catherine Carey was the daughter of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife, and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. This made Lettice Knollys the first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth I and therefore her son Robert was Elizabeth’s first cousin twice removed.

Robert’s sisters Dorothy and Penelope Devereux; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert had four younger siblings:

• Sir Walter Devereux (1569 – 1591), married Margaret, Dakyns, no children, killed at the Siege of Rouen
• Penelope Devereux (1563 – 1607), married (1) Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, 3rd Baron Rich, had seven children, divorced due to Penelope’s adultery (2) Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire, had four children out of wedlock who were never legitimized
• Dorothy Devereux (circa 1564 – 1619), married (1) Sir Thomas Perrot, had five children (2) Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland, had four children
• Francis Devereux (born and died 1572)

Robert’s father died in 1576, and the eleven-year-old became the 2nd Earl of Essex and the ward of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I. On September 21, 1578, Robert got a stepfather when his mother married Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I’s long-time favorite and Robert’s godfather. Dudley feared Elizabeth I’s reaction to his marriage and insisted it be kept secret. However, Elizabeth I found out about the marriage two months later. She banished her cousin Lettice permanently from court, never forgave her, and never accepted the marriage. Although Dudley remained at court, he was alternately humiliated in public by Elizabeth and treated as fondly as always.

Robert had one half-brother who died in childhood from his mother’s second marriage:

• Robert Dudley, Lord Denbigh (1581 – 1584)

Robert Dudley had much influence on his godson and stepson Robert Devereux. Robert served in the military under his stepfather’s command in the Netherlands. Several years before he died in 1588, Dudley introduced Robert to the Elizabethan court, and Elizabeth I increasingly became interested in the young man. Robert spent much time in the company of Elizabeth I and succeeded his stepfather in royal favor. Although Elizabeth I was thirty-two years older than Robert, she found it very pleasant to be adored by such a young man. In June 1587, Robert replaced Dudley as Master of the Horse. After Dudley died in 1588, Elizabeth I transferred Dudley’s royal monopoly on sweet wines to Robert, providing him with lucrative revenue. In 1593, Robert was made a member of the Privy Council.

Frances Walsingham and her son Robert; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1590, Robert married Frances Walsingham, the only surviving child of Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary of State and spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I, and Ursula St. Barbe. The marriage greatly displeased Queen Elizabeth I because the couple had not asked for permission beforehand, but she forgave them relatively quickly.

Robert and Frances had five children:

• Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (1592 – 1646), married (1) Frances Howard, no children, marriage annulled (2) Elizabeth Paulet, no children
• Penelope Devereux (1593/4 – 1599), died in childhood
• Henry Devereux (born and died 1596), died in infancy
• Frances Devereux (1599 – 1674), married William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, had eight children
• Dorothy Devereux (1600 – 1636), married Sir Henry Shirley, 2nd Baronet, had three children

Robert in 1590; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert had a petulant nature, acted on whims, and often acted disdainfully and disrespectfully. His behavior would ultimately lead to his downfall. At court, he dueled with Sir Walter Raleigh, among others, which displeased Elizabeth I. In 1591, Robert was given command of an army that was to come to the aid of Henri IV, King of France but he defied Elizabeth’s instructions. In the summer of 1596, Robert managed to easily take the Spanish port of Cadiz. However, because the Spanish were able to burn their ships before the attack, there was nearly no loot but Robert’s bold act made him famous throughout Europe. However, the next year, an expedition to the Azores with Sir Walter Raleigh was a complete failure.

In 1599, Robert reluctantly accepted the post of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. At that time, the Irish revolutionary Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone was rebelling against the English rule in Ireland. After several costly battles and an armistice that was disadvantageous for England, Robert disregarded an explicit order from Elizabeth I to remain at his post in Ireland. He left Ireland in September 1599 and reached London four days later where he gained access to the chambers of the not-yet-fully-dressed Queen Elizabeth I. After interrogation by the Privy Council, Robert was placed under house arrest for ten months.

Robert was released from house arrest in August 1600 but the source of his income, the monopoly on sweet wines, was not renewed. His financial situation became more and more desperate. Robert had inherited large debts from his father, and he had amassed his own large debts. Essex House, Robert’s London mansion, became a meeting place for people who were upset with Elizabeth I’s government. On February 3, 1601, five conspiracy leaders met at the home of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Hoping to avoid suspicion, Robert was not present. The group discussed Robert’s proposals for seizing the court, the Tower of London, and the City of London. Their goal was to force Queen Elizabeth I to change the leaders in her government, particularly Robert Cecil, Secretary of State.

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 8, 1601, four messengers including Lord Keeper Thomas Egerton,1st Viscount Brackley came to Essex House in the name of Queen Elizabeth I to try to persuade Robert to surrender. Robert seized the four messengers and held them hostage. Then Robert and about 200 followers made their way to the City of London. Meanwhile, Robert Cecil sent a warning to the Lord Mayor of London denouncing Robert as a traitor and ordered the heralds to spread the warning throughout London. Once the word traitor was used, many of Robert’s followers disappeared, and none of the citizens joined him as he had expected. Robert’s position was desperate, and he returned to Essex House. When he got there, he found the hostages gone. Soldiers under Lord High Admiral Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, besieged Essex House and rescued the hostages. By that evening, after burning incriminating evidence, Robert surrendered and was arrested along with the Earl of Southampton and the other conspirators.

On February 19, 1601, Robert and Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton were tried on charges of treason. The trial lasted only a day and it was no surprise that the verdict was guilty. Robert had burned incriminating evidence to save his followers before his arrest but he was convinced by a minister he needed to reveal the identity of his conspirators to save his soul. He revealed everyone involved including his sister Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire on whom he put a great deal of the blame but no action was taken against her. Robert, the Earl of Southampton, and four others were sentenced to death. Other conspirators were fined. Through the efforts of Robert Cecil, Southampton’s sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. Southampton and one other conspirator remained imprisoned in the Tower of London and were freed when King James I succeeded to the throne in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I.

Site of the scaffold in front of St. Peter’s Chapel at the Tower of London; Credit – By August – originally posted to Flickr as Off with their Heads!, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4530234

Robert’s wife Frances attempted to see Queen Elizabeth I to plead for clemency but the queen refused to see her. On February 25, 1601, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, aged 34, was beheaded on Tower Green within the Tower of London. Beheading in the privacy of Tower Green was considered a privilege of rank and those executed there were spared insults from the jeering crowd. He was buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London. Robert’s conviction for treason meant that his earldom was forfeit and his son did not inherit the title. However, after Queen Elizabeth I’s death, King James I reinstated the earldom in favor of Robert’s disinherited son, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex.

Plaque in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula; Credit – https://elizregina.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/q1-i-was-here.jpg

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Devereux, 2. Earl Of Essex. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2._Earl_of_Essex> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Essex’s Rebellion. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex%27s_Rebellion> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Devereux, 2Nd Earl Of Essex. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2nd_Earl_of_Essex> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Henry Wriothesley, 3Rd Earl Of Southampton. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wriothesley,_3rd_Earl_of_Southampton> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lettice Knollys. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettice_Knollys> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
• Erickson, Carolly, 1983. The First Elizabeth. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.
• es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_II_conde_de_Essex
• Flantzer, Susan, 2015. Queen Elizabeth I Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-elizabeth-i-of-england/> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
• Weir, Alison, 2011. The Children Of Henry VIII. New York: Random House Publishing Group.
• Weir, Alison., 2013. The Life Of Elizabeth I. New York: Random House Publishing Group.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Sarah Churchill, circa 1700; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the wife of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was born Sarah Jennings on June 5, 1660, probably at Holywell House in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Sarah was the youngest of the eight children of Richard Jennings (circa 1619 – 1668), a Member of Parliament, and Frances Thornhurst (1628 – 1693), daughter and heiress of Sir Gifford Thornhurst, 1st Baronet and Susanna Temple.

Sarah had seven siblings:

• Susanna Jennings (1645 – 1655), died in childhood
• John Jennings (died 1674)
• Frances Jennings (circa 1649 – 1731), married (1) Sir George Hamilton, Comte Hamilton, had three daughters (2) Richard Talbot, 1st Duke of Tyrconnell, no children
• Barbara Jennings (1651 – 1678), married Colonel Edward Griffith, had one daughter
• Richard Jennings (1653 – 1654), died in infancy
• Susanna Jennings (1656 – ?)
• Ralph Jennings (1656 – 1677)

In 1663, during negotiations for the recovery of an estate in Kent that had been the property of his mother-in-law, Sarah’s father Richard Jennings came into contact with James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England, the brother of King Charles II of England. Favorably impressed with Jennings, James appointed his eldest surviving daughter Frances a maid of honor to his first wife, Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. Although Frances had to give up her post as maid of honor when she married, James did not forget the Jennings family, and in 1673, 13-year-old Sarah was appointed a maid of honor to James’ second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena.

Mary and Anne with their parents  James, Duke of York (later King James II) and Duchess of York (born Anne Hyde) by Peter Lely, circa16681670; Credit – Wikipedia

Also at court were the two surviving children from James’ first marriage to Anne Hyde, Mary (the future Queen Mary II who was two years younger than Sarah) and Anne (the future Queen Anne who was five years younger than Sarah). Sarah first became acquainted with the royal sisters in 1671 but became closer friends with Anne after she was appointed maid of honor to Anne’s stepmother. Sarah later claimed that their five-year age difference did not discourage Anne and Sarah from playing together and that even then Anne expressed “a particular fondness” for her. Sarah would remain an intimate of Anne until 1711 when Sarah and her husband John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough were dismissed from court.

In late 1675, 15-year-old Sarah met 25-year-old John Churchill, an upcoming military leader who fell in love with her. In 1663, John Churchill’s fifteen-year-old sister Arabella Churchill had been sent to court to be a maid of honor to Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. Arabella captured the eye of James, Duke of York (the future King James II) and by 1665, she was his mistress. The Churchill family was firmly loyal to the royal household, and their feeling about Arabella’s position as a royal mistress seems to have been “a joyful surprise that so plain a girl had attained such high preferment.”

John Churchill circa 1685–1690; Credit – Wikipedia

John Churchill, who had previously been a lover of King Charles II’s mistress Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland, had little to offer financially as his family’s estates were deeply in debt. John’s father Sir Winston Churchill was anxious to restore the family’s fortune. In 1677, Catherine Sedley, because of her family’s wealth, was considered a marriage prospect for John Churchill by his parents. John hoped to marry Catherine Sedley and then take Sarah as a mistress in place of Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland, who had recently departed for France. However, surviving letters from Sarah to John show her unwillingness to become his mistress. Catherine Sedley later became a mistress of the future King James II and bore him three children.

After the death of her surviving brother Ralph in 1677 and then the death of her sister Barbara in 1678, Sarah and her elder sister Frances became co-heirs of the Jennings estates in Hertfordshire and Kent, and Sarah’s financial situation improved. John decided he would marry Sarah but both their families disapproved of the marriage. Sometime during the winter of 1677 – 1678, Sarah Jennings and John Churchill secretly married. Their marriage was announced only to Maria Beatrice of Modena, then Duchess of York, and a small circle of friends so that Sarah could keep her court position as Maria Beatrice’s maid of honor. When Sarah became pregnant, their marriage was announced publicly on October 1, 1678, and she retired from the court to give birth to her first child Harriet who died in infancy.

Sarah and her husband John had seven children. Their children and grandchildren married into the British aristocracy. Among their more famous descendants are British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, and of course her son William, a future King of the United Kingdom.

• Harriet Churchill (born and died 1679), died in infancy
• Henrietta Churchill, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough in her own right (1681 – 1733), married Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, had two sons and three daughters
• Anne Churchill (1683 – 1716), married Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, had three sons and two daughters, their son Charles became 3rd Duke of Marlborough upon the death of his aunt Henrietta Churchill, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough; their son John is the ancestor of the Earls Spencer and therefore of Diana, Princess of Wales
• John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (1686 – 1703), died of smallpox at age 17, the dukedom passed to his eldest sister Henrietta after their father died in 1722
• Elizabeth Churchill (1687 – 1714), married Scroop Egerton, 4th Earl of Bridgewater, had one son and one daughter
• Mary Churchill (1689 – 1751), married John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu, had three sons and two daughters
• Charles Churchill (1690 – 1692), died in infancy

Sarah and John’s family circa 1694: John, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, Henrietta, Anne, and their son John; Credit – Wikipedia

When Sarah’s third daughter was born in February 1683, Anne accepted an invitation to be her godmother, and the child was named after Anne. Later in 1683, when Anne married Prince George of Denmark, Sarah was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber. It was during the 1680s that Anne and Sarah became quite close and Anne was quite upset during the periods Sarah was not at court. While they were apart, they wrote to each other, eventually using the pen names Mrs. Morley (Anne) and Mrs. Freeman (Sarah). The question of whether Anne was sexually attracted to Sarah is often raised. While there have been rumors of sexual relationships, as depicted in the 2018 film The Favourite, between both Queen Anne and Sarah, and Queen Anne and Abigail Masham, Sarah’s first cousin and her replacement as Anne’s favorite, most historians and biographers reject this idea.

Upon the death of King Charles II in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice, James II’s second wife, had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young.  On June 10, 1688, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a Catholic heir to the throne, James Francis Edward, later known as the Old Pretender. Rumors soon swirled that Maria Beatrice had had a stillbirth and the dead baby was replaced with one smuggled into her bed via a warming-pan even though many had witnessed the birth including James II’s younger daughter Anne. Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution and King James II was overthrown and succession rights for his son James Francis Edward were denied. Parliament invited James II’s elder daughter Mary and her husband and first cousin William III, Prince of Orange to reign jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II.

John Churchill had been created Lord Churchill of Eyemouth by King Charles II in 1682 and Sarah became Lady Churchill. King James II created John Baron Churchill of Sandridge, in 1685, and Sarah was raised to Baroness Churchill. When William III and Mary II created John the Earl of Marlborough in 1689, Sarah became the Countess of Marlborough.

In January 1692, suspecting that John Churchill was secretly conspiring with the Jacobites, the supporters of the deposed James II, William and Mary dismissed him from all his offices. In a public show of support for the Marlboroughs, Anne took Sarah to a social event at the palace and refused her sister Mary’s request to dismiss Sarah from her household. Instead, Sarah was dismissed from the household by the Lord Chamberlain. Anne angrily left her royal lodgings and took up residence at Syon House, the home of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. As a result, Anne was stripped of her guard of honor, courtiers were forbidden to visit her, and government officials were instructed to ignore her.

Queen Anne’s obstetrical history is tragic. She had 17 pregnancies with only five children being born alive. Two died on the day of their birth, two died at less than two years old within six days of each from smallpox, and one died at age 11. On April 17, 1692, Anne gave birth to a son who died within minutes. Her sister visited her, but instead of offering comfort, Mary berated Anne once again for her friendship with Sarah. The sisters never saw each other again. On December 28, 1694, the childless Queen Mary II died of smallpox. Following, the death of his wife Mary II, William III restored Anne’s honors, as she was now next in line to the throne, and provided her with apartments at St. James’s Palace. He also restored John Churchill to all his offices and honors and exonerated him from any past accusations. However, fearing Sarah’s powerful influence, William kept Anne out of government affairs, and he did not make her regent in his absences although she was now his heir presumptive.

Queen Anne, 1702; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 8, 1702, King William III died after a fall from his horse, and his sister-in-law and first cousin succeeded to the throne as Queen Anne. Shortly after she acceded to the throne, Queen Anne created John Churchill the 1st Duke of Marlborough, and granted him the subsidiary title Marquess of Blandford. During Queen Anne’s reign, John Churchill served Anne as a general in the War of the Spanish Succession. Anne had the spectacular Blenheim Palace built for John Churchill in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England as a reward from a grateful nation for the duke’s military victories against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim.

Blenheim Palace; Photo © Susan Flantzer

Queen Anne named Sarah Mistress of the Robes, the highest office in the royal court that could be held by a woman, Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and Ranger of Windsor Great Park. She was the first of only two women ever to be Keeper of the Privy Purse and the only woman ever to be Ranger of Windsor Great Park. Sarah exerted great influence on Queen Anne and had control over most of Anne’s existence, from her finances to the people admitted to the royal presence. However, the relationship between Sarah and Anne became increasingly strained.

Sarah wearing the gold key around her waist, the symbol of her office and authority as Mistress of the Robes, 1702; Credit – Wikipedia

Abigail Hill, Sarah’s first cousin, was forced to work as a servant because of her family’s poor financial situation. Sarah took Abigail into her household, where, according to Sarah, “she lived with me and my children, and I treated her with as great kindness as if she had been my sister.” In 1704, through Sarah’s influence, Abigail received an appointment in Queen Anne’s household as a Woman of the Bedchamber. While Sarah was assertive and outspoken, Abigail was understated and meek. During Sarah’s frequent absences from court, Abigail and Anne grew close. Abigail was happy to show Queen Anne the kindness and consideration that Anne needed and never pressured Anne about politics. In addition, Abigail’s opinions on church and political matters, unlike her cousin Sarah’s, were similar to Queen Anne’s. In 1707, Queen Anne was present at Abigail’s secret wedding to Samuel Masham, a Groom of the Bedchamber to Anne’s husband Prince George. Sarah had no idea about either Abigail’s marriage or the friendship between Queen Anne and Abigail. She became enraged and jealous and unsuccessfully attempted to force Queen Anne to dismiss Abigail.

Sarah’s first cousin Abagail Hill, later Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham; Credit – Wikipedia

Sarah was further angered when Abigail moved into rooms at Kensington Palace that Sarah considered her own although she rarely used them. The fondness Queen Anne showed for Abigail and the refusal to dismiss her so angered Sarah that she implied without evidence that a sexual affair was taking place between the two women. When Queen Anne’s husband Prince George died in 1708, Sarah was the only one who refused to wear suitable mourning clothes. In October 1709, Queen Anne wrote to Sarah’s husband asking that his wife “leave off teasing & tormenting me & behave herself with the decency she ought both to her friend and Queen”.

On April 6, 1710, Queen Anne and Sarah saw each other for the last time. Sarah asked Anne why their friendship was at an end. Anne kept repeating “I shall make no answer to anything you say” and “You may put it in writing”. After Sarah told her husband what had happened, John realized Anne intended to dismiss them both. He begged Anne to let them keep their positions for nine months until his military campaign ended. Queen Anne told him that her honor required Sarah to resign immediately. In January 1711, Sarah lost her positions of Mistress of the Robes and Groom of the Stole and was replaced by Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset. In December 1711, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was dismissed as Captain-General of the British Army. Along with her position of Lady of the Bedchamber, Abigail Masham was made Keeper of the Privy Purse and remained Queen Anne’s favorite until Anne died in 1714.

In disgrace, Sarah and John left England and traveled in Europe for several years. Because of his military campaigns on the European continent, John was welcomed at German courts. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, the same day Sarah and John returned to England. Anne was succeeded by George, Elector of Hanover, a great-grandson of King James I of England, and the Protestant heir as stipulated by the Act of Settlement of 1701. The new King George I had a personal friendship with Sarah and John who had visited him frequently during their exile in Europe. George’s first words to John as King of Great Britain were, “My Lord Duke, I hope your troubles are now over.” John was restored to his old office of Captain-General of the Army.

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, painted after his stroke circa 1719-1720; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1716, John suffered several strokes. His speech was impaired but he recovered enough to ride out to watch the builders at work on Blenheim Palace which had lost its funding from the Crown in 1712 and was then being completed. On June 16, 1722, 72-year-old John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough had another stroke and died at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor, England, and was initially buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Sarcophagus of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; Photo © Susan Flantzer

In 1730, Sarah commissioned a sarcophagus for her husband, herself, and their sons John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford who died of smallpox at age 17, and Charles Churchill who died at age 2. The sarcophagus in the chapel at Blenheim Palace was a collaboration between Flemish sculptor Michael Rysbrack and English architect William Kent and was constructed between 1730 and 1733. John and Sarah are depicted in Roman dress with their son John standing near his father and their son Charles with his mother. “The large statues flanking the sarcophagus are of History with her quill and Fame with her trumpet and the sarcophagus itself crushes the last enemy of all, Envy.” (From a photo taken by this author of an informational display at the chapel at Blenheim Palace.)

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough survived her husband by twenty-two years, dying on October 18, 1744, aged 84, at Marlborough House in London, England. Following Sarah’s instructions, John’s remains were transferred from Westminster Abbey to the chapel at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England where he was interred with Sarah.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Masham,_Baroness_Masham> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. John Churchill, 1St Duke Of Marlborough. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Churchill,_1st_Duke_of_Marlborough> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Richard Jennings (Politician). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jennings_(politician)> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sarah Churchill, Duchess Of Marlborough. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Churchill,_Duchess_of_Marlborough> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. Queen Anne Of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-anne-of-great-britain/> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
• Somerset, Anne, 2012. Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion. New York: Vintage Books.
• Thepeerage.com. 2021. The Peerage: A Genealogical Survey Of The Peerage Of Britain As Well As The Royal Families Of Europe. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/> [Accessed 24 January 2021].