by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, first a favorite of King Charles II of England, and also served in several positions during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, and Anne. He was born on June 15, 1645, in Breage, Cornwall, England, the son of Sir Francis Godolphin (1605 – 1667) and Dorothy Berkeley, a daughter of Sir Henry Berkeley of Yarlington. The Godolphins were an old Cornish family and Sidney’s father was a landowner, politician, and Member of Parliament. Sidney’s paternal uncle, his namesake, was the poet Sidney Godolphin who died fighting in the Royalist army in the English Civil War.

Sidney had at least fourteen siblings. Some of his siblings have little or no information so it is probable that they died in infancy or childhood.

• Elizabeth Godolphin (1635 – 1707), married Sir Arthur Northcote, 2nd Baronet, had eight children
• Thomasina Godolphin (born and died 1636)
• Dorothea Godolphin (1637 – ?)
• Sir William Godolphin, 1st Baronet (circa 1640 – 1710), unmarried
• Francis Godolphin (circa 1642 – 1675), unmarried
• Jael Godolphin (1647 – 1730), married Edward Boscawen, had three children
• Reverend Henry Godolphin (1648 – 1733), married Mary Godolphin, had two children, was Provost of Eton College and Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral
• Charles Godolphin (circa 1651 – 1720), married his cousin Elizabeth Godolphin, had two children
• Catheryn Godolphin (1655 – ?)
• Anne Godolphin (1657 – ?)
• Frances Godolphin
• Margaret Godolphin
• Penelope Godolphin
• Edward Godolphin

King Charles II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1660, during the period known as the Restoration, the Stuart monarchy was restored and King Charles II returned from exile in Europe. The Godolphin family were staunch Royalists and in 1662, seventeen-year-old Sidney became a page of honor (1662 – 1668) to King Charles II. During his time as a page, Sidney made the acquaintance of John Churchill, the future 1st Duke of Marlborough, then a page to the Duke of York, Charles II’s brother and the future King James II. Sidney and John Churchill became friends and later, political allies.

From 1670 – 1678, Sidney served King Charles II as Groom of the Bedchamber and then served him as Master of the Robes from 1678 – 1679. Charles said Sidney was “never in the way and never out of the way”. Sidney must have made a favorable impression on King Charles II because he served on two important diplomatic missions: envoy-extraordinary to King Louis XIV of France in 1672 and then in 1678, to Willem III Prince of Orange (the future William III, King of England). Besides his positions at court, Sidney served as a Member of Parliament from 1665 – 1685.

Margaret Blagge, Sidney’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 16, 1676, Sidney married Margaret Blagge, daughter of Colonel Thomas Blagge, a Royalist supporter. Margaret had been a maid of honor to Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, the first wife of the future King James II and the mother of Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. When the Duchess of York died in 1671, Margaret became a maid of honor to Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II. Sidney and Margaret had one child but sadly, Margaret died from childbirth complications on September 9, 1678, six days after the birth of her son. Sidney never married again.

• Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin (1678 – 1766), married Lady Henrietta Churchill, the eldest daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, had five children

Sidney was appointed a member of the Privy Council in March 1679. In 1684, King Charles II raised Sidney to the peerage, creating him Baron Godolphin of Rialton. He was named First Lord of the Treasury on September 9, 1684, a position he would hold at times during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, and Anne.

King James II; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of King Charles II in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II. Sidney was named Chamberlain of the Household of King James II’s second wife, born Maria Beatrice of Modena. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice 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 boy, 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. Sidney was present at the birth but diplomatically said that he was too far from the bed to see anything.

Queen Mary II and King William III; Credit – Wikipedia

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.  When James II’s nephew and son-in-law William III, Prince of Orange landed in England prepared for battle, Sidney was one of the council of five appointed by King James II to represent him in negotiations with the Prince of Orange. Parliament invited James IIs’ elder daughter Mary and her husband William III, Prince of Orange to jointly reign as King William III and Queen Mary II. When it became clear that James II would not be able to regain the throne, Sidney decided to retire from public life, but William III and Mary II soon called him back into service, in November 1690, again as First Lord of the Treasury. Despite being in the service of William and Mary, Sidney maintained a secret correspondence with James II and disclosed intelligence.

Queen Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1702, James II’s younger daughter Anne succeeded to the throne. Once again, Sidney was appointed First Lord of the Treasury on the strong recommendation of his old friend John Churchill, now 1st Duke of Marlborough, and he remained in this office for eight years. Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Queen Anne’s close friend, later wrote that if Anne learned anything about politics and statecraft, it was entirely due to Sidney’s mentoring. Queen Anne made Sidney a Knight of the Garter in 1704, and in 1706, she created him and Earl of Godolphin and Viscount Rialton.

Both Sidney and the Marlboroughs gradually lost their favor with Queen Anne but their services were so valued by the nation that they continued to maintain their influence. However, in 1708, Queen Anne finally succeeded in ousting Marlborough and Sidney. Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin died, aged 67, on September 15, 1712, in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. He was buried in the south aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey in London, England. On a nearby wall is a bust of him by the sculptor Francis Bird.

Bust of Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin in Westminster Abbey; Credit – https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/godolphin-family

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. 2021. Sidney Godolphin, 1. Earl Of Godolphin. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Godolphin,_1._Earl_of_Godolphin> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sidney Godolphin, 1St Earl Of Godolphin. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Godolphin,_1st_Earl_of_Godolphin> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
• Fraser, Antonia, 1979. King Charles II. London: Phoenix.
• Genealogics.org. 2021. Leo’s Genealogics Website. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/index.php> [Accessed 23 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 23 January 2021].
• Van Der Kiste, J., 2003. William And Mary. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert de Vere (in blue with the red hat), sitting on King Richard II’s left; Credit – http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/richard2feast.jpg

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

Born on January 16, 1362, during the reign of King Edward III of England, Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, Marquess of Dublin, and 9th Earl of Oxford was the only child of Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford and Maud de Ufford. Robert’s mother was the only child of Sir Ralph de Ufford and Maud of Lancaster, the daughter of Henry, 3rd Duke of Lancaster, grandson of King Henry III of England. Robert’s father served in several military campaigns of Edward III and when he died in 1371, his nine-year-old son succeeded him. Young Robert succeeded his father as Lord Great Chamberlain, a hereditary office. From 1133 – 1526, the Earls of Oxford held the office almost continuously, with a few exceptions due to the forfeiture of some Earls of Oxford for treason.

Robert and Philippa; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 5, 1376, Robert married Philippa de Coucy, daughter of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy and Isabella of England, the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England. Their marriage was childless. On June 21, 1377, King Edward III died and was succeeded by his ten-year-old grandson King Richard II. Richard II’s father Edward, Prince of Wales, also known as the Black Prince, died in 1376. Robert was often at court in his role as Lord Great Chamberlain and as the husband of the king’s first cousin. He quickly became a favorite of the young king and a member of the Privy Council.

Hedingham Castle, the seat of the Earls of Oxford; Credit – By Simondaw, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375023

In 1384, Richard II created Robert a Knight of the Order of the Garter. During the following two years, Robert received more honors from Richard II. He was created Marquess of Dublin and Duke of Ireland. The creation of both these peerages angered the nobility. Until then, the title of duke was reserved for close relatives of the king (usually sons) and it was the first time a marquess title was created in England.

Robert began an affair with Agnes de Launcekrona, a Lady of the Bedchamber of Richard II’s first wife Anne of Bohemia. In 1387, Robert repudiated and divorced his wife Philippa, and promptly married Agnes. This was considered a major scandal because Philippa was the first cousin of the King of England. Philippa’s powerful royal uncles, the sons of Edward III, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Edmund of Langley, Duke of York; and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, were beyond furious. Even Robert’s mother Maud de Ufford took Philippa’s side over her son’s. She cursed Robert for his actions and took Philippa into her household. Agnes never held the titles of Countess of Oxford or Duchess of Ireland, as Philippa continued to use those titles after the divorce. In 1389, Pope Urban VI declared Robert’s divorce to Philippa invalid, making his second marriage invalid.

In 1386, Parliament blamed Richard II’s advisers, including Robert de Vere, for the military failures and accused them of misusing funds intended for the war. Parliament authorized a commission of nobles known as the Lords Appellant to take over the management of the kingdom and act as Richard II’s regents. There were originally three Lords Appellant: Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of Edward III and Richard’s uncle; Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel; and Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick. Later, Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby (son of John of Gaunt, Richard’s first cousin and the future King Henry IV), and Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk also became Lords Appellant. Richard II did not recognize the authority of the Lords Appellant and started an unsuccessful military attempt to overthrow the Lords Appellant. In 1387, the Lords Appellant launched an armed rebellion against King Richard II and defeated an army under Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford at the Battle of Radcot Bridge on the River Thames, outside Oxford.

Embed from Getty Images 
Battle of Radcot Bridge (Miniature from the Grandes Chroniques de France by Jean Froissart)

After the battle, Robert sought a way to escape. He forced his horse into the River Thames and moved upstream. Staying close to the riverbank, Robert lightened his load by dropping his gauntlets, sword, and helmet. He found a company of enemy archers on Radcot Bridge and sought shelter in the woods. When it was dark, he removed his armor and swam across the River Thames. Hiding in the woods during the day and traveling at night, Robert made his way to the English Channel and then to France. After his horse, helmet, armor, and sword were found, it was thought that perhaps Robert had drowned. Robert was attainted, found guilty of treason, lost his titles and land, and sentenced to death in absentia by the Merciless Parliament of 1388.

On November 22, 1392, in Louvain, Duchy of Brabant, now in Belgium, 30-year-old Robert de Vere died in exile and poverty from the wounds received while hunting a wild boar. In 1395, King Richard II had Robert’s remains brought back to England for burial at Colne Priory, the burial site of the Earls of Oxford, in Earls Colne, Essex, England. The chronicler Thomas Walsingham recorded that many nobles did not attend the burial ceremony because they “had not yet digested their hatred” of Robert. Richard II had the coffin opened to view his friend’s remains one last time. In 1393, Sir Aubrey de Vere, Robert’s uncle, was restored to the family titles and land, becoming the 10th Earl of Oxford. However, the Duke of Ireland and Marquess of Dublin titles became extinct.

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

• https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere,_Duke_of_Ireland
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Agnes De Launcekrona. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_de_Launcekrona> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lord Great Chamberlain. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Great_Chamberlain> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Maud De Ufford, Countess Of Oxford. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_de_Ufford,_Countess_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert De Vere, Duke Of Ireland. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere,_9th_Earl_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Thomas De Vere, 8Th Earl Of Oxford. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_de_Vere,_8th_Earl_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan. 2016. King Richard II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-richard-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• Nash Ford, David, 2004. Berkshire History: The Battle Of Radcot Bridge (1387). [online] Berkshirehistory.com. Available at: <http://www.berkshirehistory.com/articles/radcot_bridge_bat.html> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
• Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert De Vere. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere> [Accessed 19 November 2020].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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

Hugh Despenser the Younger from the Founders ‘and Benefactors’ Book of Tewkesbury Abbey, Bodleian Library Oxford; Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh Despenser the Younger was born in England circa 1287 – 1289. He was the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the four children of Hugh Despenser the Elder, 1st Earl of Winchester and Isabel de Beauchamp, daughter of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick and Maud FitzJohn.

Hugh had three younger siblings:

• Philip Despenser (circa 1290 – 1313), married Margaret de Goushill, had one son
• Isabel Despenser (died 1326), married (1) John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, had three children (2) Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer 
• Margaret Despenser, married (1) John de St Amand, 1st Baron Amand, no children

Hugh was knighted on May 22, 1306, at the Feast of the Swans, a celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey.  King Edward I of England first knighted his son Edward of Caernarfon, the future King Edward II, who then knighted the 266 other men. Shortly afterward, Hugh married Eleanor de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I and sister of King Edward II. Eleanor’s grandfather King Edward I granted her a substantial dowry of 2,000 pounds sterling.

Hugh and Eleanor had nine children:

• Hugh Despencer, Baron Despenser (1308 – 1349), unmarried
• Gilbert Despenser (1309 – 1381)
• Edward Despenser (1310–1342), married Anne Ferrers of Groby, had four children, killed in battle
• John Despenser (1311 – 1366)
• Isabel Despenser (1313 – after 1356), married Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel, had one son, marriage annulled
• Eleanor Despenser, (circa 1315 – 1351), a nun at Sempringham Priory
• Joan Despenser, (circa 1317 – 1384), a nun at Shaftesbury Abbey
• Margaret Despenser, (circa 1319 – 1337), a nun at Whatton Priory
• Elizabeth Despenser (1325 – 1389), married Maurice de Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley, had seven children

King Edward II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh’s father Hugh Despenser the Elder served King Edward I of England both in battle and as a diplomat and was created Baron Despenser and summoned to Parliament in 1295. On July 8, 1307, King Edward I died and his son succeeded him as King Edward II. Hugh Despenser the Elder was one of the few barons who remained loyal to Edward II during the controversy regarding Edward II’s favorite Piers Gaveston.

After Piers Gaveston was executed in 1312, Hugh Despenser the Elder became Edward II’s chief administrator, marking the beginning of the Despensers’ increased prominence at court. Hugh Despenser the Younger became royal chamberlain in 1318. He then maneuvered himself into the affections of King Edward II and displaced his current favorite Roger d’Amory.  While there is no doubt that there was a close and trusting relationship between King Edward II and Hugh Despenser the Younger, there is little evidence to support the suspicion that they also had a sexual relationship. Edward II was willing to let the Despensers do as they pleased, and they grew rich from their corruption.

All this caused much dismay among the nobility. Their feelings were especially negative towards Hugh the Younger. They saw him taking their rightful places at court and even worse, being the new Piers Gaveston. By 1321, Hugh the Younger had earned many enemies throughout English society, from Edward II’s wife Queen Isabella, to the nobility, to the common people. A year later, Queen Isabella became even more enraged when Edward II created Hugh the Elder Earl of Winchester. By 1323, Queen Isabella had had enough of the Despensers and left Edward II, who made an unwise decision to send Isabella and their 12-year-old son, the future King Edward III, on a diplomatic mission to her native France.

In France, Isabella became reacquainted with Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Mortimer had been imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1322 for having led a revolt against King Edward II in what became known as the Despenser War. He later escaped to France with Isabella’s help. Isabella and Mortimer made plans to depose Edward II.  They gathered an army and set sail for England, landing at Harwich on September 25, 1326.  With their mercenary army, Isabella and Mortimer quickly seized power. Edward II was forced to abdicate. Isabella’s son was crowned King Edward III, and Isabella and Mortimer served as regents for the teenage king.

During the rebellion, both Hugh Despenser the Elder and Hugh Despenser the Younger were captured. Queen Isabella tried to intercede for Hugh the Elder but his enemies, notably Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, insisted that both father and son should face trial and execution. Ultimately, Hugh the Elder was denied a trial and was immediately hanged in his armor on October 27, 1326.

Execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger, from a manuscript of Jean Froissart, Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh the Younger unsuccessfully attempted to starve himself to death before his trial. He was tried on November 24, 1326, with Queen Isabella and Mortimer in attendance, and was found guilty on many charges including high treason, and sentenced to death. Hugh Despenser the Younger was executed in Hereford, England, on the same day as his trial. He was dragged naked through the streets and then hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was mounted on the gates of London. Four years later, in December 1330, Hugh the Younger’s widow was permitted to bury his remains at the family’s Gloucestershire estate but only the head, a thighbone, and a few vertebrae were returned to her.

During archaeological work in the 1970s, the remains of a decapitated male, missing several vertebrae and a thighbone, were found in the ruins of Hulton Abbey in Abbey Hulton in Staffordshire, England. The location of the remains in the chancel suggested that they belonged to an important person. In 2004, the remains were transferred to the University of Reading, where analysis suggested that the body had been hanged, drawn, and quartered. Radiocarbon analysis dated the body to between 1050 and 1385, and later tests suggested the remains belonged to a man over 34 years old. In 2008, Dr. Mary Lewis of the University of Reading identified the remains as belonging to Hugh Despenser the Younger. Hugh Despenser the Younger was about 40-years-old at the time of his death. Hulton Abbey is located on lands that belonged to Hugh Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester, the second husband of Margaret de Clare, the sister of Hugh the Younger’s widow Eleanor de Clare. Margaret’s first husband had been Piers Gaveston so she and her sister Eleanor had very unlucky first marriages.

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. Hugh Le Despenser. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_le_Despenser> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eleanor De Clare. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_de_Clare> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulton_Abbey
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hugh Despenser The Elder. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Despenser_the_Elder> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hugh Despenser The Younger. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Despenser_the_Younger> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Edward II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-edward-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 17 November 2020].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

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

Coat of arms of Piers Gaveston; Credit – By Own workiThe source code of this SVG is valid.This vector image was created with Inkscape by User:Jaspe., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3849182

Piers Gaveston was born Pierre de Gabaston circa 1283, in the Duchy of Gascony, now a province in southwestern France, the son of Arnaud de Gabaston (link in French) and Claramonde de Marsan, daughter of Viscount Arnaud-Guillaume de Marsan.

Piers had six siblings:

• Arnaud-Guillaume de Gabaston (circa 1272 – after 1325)
• Unknown sister
• Unknown sister
• Gérard de Gabaston
• Raimond-Arnaud de Gabaston
• Amie de Gabaston (? – after 1312)

Through his marriage, Arnaud de Gabaston, Piers’ father, acquired land and castles that were under the jurisdiction of King Edward I of England in his capacity as Duke of Aquitaine, and so Arnaud became a vassal of King Edward I. After the death of his wife in 1287, Arnaud had to fight legal claims over his wife’s inheritance. This made him financially dependent on King Edward I who he served for the rest of his life. Arnaud fought with King Edward I in the First War of Scottish Independence and the Conquest of Wales. When Arnaud died in 1302, he was given the great honor of burial in Winchester Cathedral in England.

King Edward I and his son Edward, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1300, Piers sailed to England with his father and older brother Arnaud-Guillaume. Probably because of his father’s influence, Piers became a member of the household of King Edward I’s son and heir Edward of Caernarfon, the future King Edward II. King Edward I was impressed with Piers’ conduct and skill in tournaments, and he wanted him to serve as a role model for his son. Piers and Edward of Caernarfon soon became inseparable companions. Piers was knighted on May 22, 1306, at the Feast of the Swans, a celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey.  King Edward I first knighted his son Edward of Caernarfon who then knighted the 266 other young men. However, Piers soon became involved in conflicts between King Edward I and his son. The situation got so bad that King Edward I banished Piers in 1307.

King Edward II; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 8, 1307, King Edward I died and his son became king. One of King Edward II’s first acts as king was to recall his favorite Piers Gaveston back to court.  In 1308, Edward II married Isabella of France. ​ From the start of her marriage, Isabella was confronted with the close relationship between her husband and Piers, described as “an arrogant, ostentatious soldier, with a reckless and headstrong personality.”  The true nature of the relationship between Edward II and Piers is unknown and there is no contemporary evidence that comments directly on Edward’s sexual orientation. It is probable that may have simply been friends with a close working relationship. In 1307, Piers was created Earl of Cornwall, a title usually given to the sons of the king, and in 1308, Edward II arranged for Piers to marry his niece Margaret de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, Edward II’s sister. Both these acts and several other incidents greatly displeased the English nobility.

The April 1308 parliament demanded the exile of Gaveston but Edward II resisted. Eventually, with the influence of Isabella’s father King Philippe IV of France, Edward I’s second wife and widow Dowager Queen Margaret who was also Isabella’s aunt, and Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, Edward II agreed to exile Gaveston to Ireland.  However, in a move that angered the nobility, Edward II made Gaveston Regent of Ireland.

After much back and forth negotiations that even involved Pope Clement V, Piers was allowed to return to England. The nobles who agreed to the compromise hoped Piers had learned his lesson. However, upon his return, he was more arrogant than ever, giving insulting nicknames to some of the most important nobles. This led to Parliament passing the Ordinances of 1311 that restricted the power of the king. In addition, the Ordinances of 1311 dealt with Piers specifically. He was to be exiled again and would face the punishment of an outlaw if he dared return to England.

Edward II responded by revoking the Ordinances of 1311 and recalling Piers to England. Piers and Edward II were reunited at York in January 1312. The nobles were furious and met in London where Piers was excommunicated by Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury. Plans were made to capture Piers to prevent him from escaping to Scotland. When Edward II, his wife Isabella, and Piers left York for Newcastle, they were pursued by a group of nobles led by Edward’s first cousin Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster. The royal party including Piers fled by ship and landed at Scarborough, where Piers stayed while Edward and Isabella returned to York.

After a short siege, Piers surrendered to Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey who promised he would not be harmed. However, while under the protection of the Earls of Pembroke and Surrey, Edward’s first cousin Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick, Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, and Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel seized Piers and took him to Warwick Castle where, on June 18, 1312, before an assembly of nobles, he was condemned to death for violating the terms of the Ordinances of 1311.

Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick standing over the decapitated body of Piers Gaveston, from the Rous Rolls, fifteenth‐century parchment scrolls that present a heraldic and genealogical history of the Earls of Warwick; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 19, 1312, the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, and Arundel led Piers Gaveston on the road towards Kenilworth as far as Blacklow Hill, which was on the Earl of Lancaster’s land. Here, they left Piers to the mercy of two Welshmen who ran him through with swords and then, because he was a noble, gave him the coup de grace of beheading. Pier’s body was left at his execution site. Eventually, it was brought to the Dominican Monastery in Oxford where the monks sewed the severed head back on the body and then embalmed the remains. However, Piers’ remains could not be buried because he had been excommunicated. The remains were kept at the monastery in Oxford for over two years. Eventually, King Edward II secured a papal absolution for Piers. On January 2, 1315, the remains of Piers Gaveston were buried in an elaborate ceremony officiated by Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury, four bishops, and many other members of the clergy at the Dominican Monastery in Kings Langley but the tomb has since been lost. A cross with an inscription was erected at Blacklow Hill in 1823 by the local squire Bertie Greathead on the site believed to be the location of Gaveston’s execution.

The 1823 Gaveston monument at Blacklow Hill, circa 1899; Credit – Wikipedia

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. Piers Gaveston, 1. Earl Of Cornwall. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston,_1._Earl_of_Cornwall> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Edward II Of England. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_II_of_England> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Piers Gaveston, 1St Earl Of Cornwall. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston,_1st_Earl_of_Cornwall> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Edward II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-edward-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2020. Arnaud De Gabaston. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_de_Gabaston> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pierre Gaveston. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Gaveston> [Accessed 16 November 2020].

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal; Credit – Wikipedia

Melusine von der Schulenburg was born on December 25, 1667, in Emden, Electorate of Brandenburg, now part of Altenhausen in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. She was the second of the five daughters and the fourth of the nine children of Gustavus Adolphus, Freiherr (Baron) von der Schulenburg (1632 – 1691) and his first wife, Petronella Ottilie von Schwencken (1637 – 1674). Melusine came from an old Brandenburg noble family. Her father served as a member of the Brandenburg Privy Council. Melusine’s mother died in childbirth along with her last child.

Melusine had eight siblings:

• Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg (1659 – 1697), married Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg
• Matthias Johann von der Schulenburg (1661 – 1747), Count (Graf) von der Schulenburg, Field Marshal in the service of the Republic of Venice
• Daniel Bodo von der Schulenburg (1662 – 1732), Count (Graf) von der Schulenburg, Lieutenant-General in the service of the Electorate of Saxony
• Sophie Juliane von der Schulenburg (1668 – 1753), married Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen
• Charlotte Katharine von der Schulenburg
• August von der Schulenburg
• Anna Elisabeth von der Schulenburg (1673 – 1725), married Georg Friedrich von Spörcken
• Charlotte von der Schulenburg (born and died 1674)

Melusine had four half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Anna Elisabeth von Stammer (1657 – 1722):

• Johanne Auguste von der Schulenburg (1687 – 1748), married Werner Ludwig Spiegel von Peckelsheim
• Friedrich Wilhelm von der Schulenburg (1680 – 1720), chamberlain to George, Elector of Hanover before he was King of Great Britain and remained in that position when George I became King, married Sophia Anna de Melville, had three children
• Dorothea Elisabeth von der Schulenburg
• Dorothea Christiane von der Schulenburg

In 1690, Melusine became a maid of honor to Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Sophia was born Sophia of the Palatinate, daughter of Friedrich V, Elector Palatine. However, Sophia’s more important dynastic lineage was through her mother Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of James VI and I, King of Scotland, England and Ireland, and his wife Anne of Denmark. A year later, Melusine had become the mistress of Sophia’s eldest son George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future Elector of Hanover and King George I of Great Britain.

George’s marriage to his first cousin Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle had produced two children, the future King George II of Great Britain and Sophia Dorothea, the future wife of Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia. The marriage was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with his mother’s maid of honor, Melusine von der Schulenburg, and Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army.

Despite warnings from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover von Königsmarck wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death.  On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. George was not satisfied with punishing his former wife with only a marriage dissolution. He had his 27-year old former wife imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden until she died 32 years later. Sophia Dorothea was never allowed to see her children again. George did not marry again, and Melusine remained his mistress until he died in 1727.

George as Elector of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Melusine and George had three illegitimate daughters who were never openly acknowledged as George’s children. Instead, two of Melusine’s sisters and their husbands officially acknowledged them. Anna Luise and Petronilla, known as Melusina, were raised by Melusine’s sister Margarete Gertrud and her husband and distant cousin Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg. Margarethe was raised by Melusine’s sister Sophie Juliane and her husband Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen.

• Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg, Countess of Dölitz (1692 -1773), married Ernest August Philipp von dem Bussche zu Ippenburg, no children
• Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg (1693 – 1778), known as Melusina, married Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, no children
• Margarethe Gertrud von Oeynhausen (1701 – 1726), married Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, had two sons

On July 30, 1700, a death occurred in the British Royal Family that would drastically affect George’s life. Eleven-year-old Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, the only surviving child of the future Queen Anne, despite her seventeen pregnancies, died. William’s death caused a succession crisis as his mother was the only person remaining in the Protestant line to the throne established by the Bill of Rights of 1689. This caused Parliament to enact the 1701 Act of Settlement, which made George’s mother Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of King James I and the nearest Protestant in the line of succession, heiress presumptive to the British throne. The British throne would go to Sophia and her Protestant heirs if King William III or Princess Anne, the sister of William III’s deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II, had no children. The Act of Settlement bypassed 56 Catholics who had a better hereditary claim to the throne than Sophia of Hanover.

On March 8, 1702, King William III died, and the sister of his deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II became Queen Anne. In 1705, George became a British citizen via the 1705 Sophia Naturalization Act. Sophia died on June 8, 1714, at the age of 83. She narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before Queen Anne. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, and George became King George I of Great Britain, the first of the Hanover monarchs.

King George I in 1716; Credit – Wikipedia

George made his state entry into London on September 20, 1714, accompanied by his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, nicknamed “the Maypole” by the British because of her tall, thin appearance. Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Duchess of Munster, Countess and Marchioness of Dungannon, and Baroness of Dundalk for life. In 1719, she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham, and Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset for life. At King George I’s request, Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI created Melusine Princess of Eberstein, and she received her own coat of arms. This gives some credence to the belief that George and Melusine had secretly married. She lived with King George I in the royal palaces and acted as his hostess. At Kensington Palace, Melusine had a three-story apartment overlooking the gardens. British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole said of Melusine, “She was as much Queen of England as ever any was.”

On June 3, 1727, King George I, who was still Elector of Hanover, accompanied by Melusine and their daughter Melusina, set out on one of his visits to Hanover. During the journey, George became ill and lost consciousness. It was noticed that his face had become distorted and his right hand hung limply at his side, a sign that he had suffered a stroke. The courtiers decided to continue with the journey to Hanover, where George died in the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 11, 1727, aged 67. Following the instructions of George’s son, now King George II, George was buried in the chapel at Leineschloss in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Melusine’s long-term role as King George I’s unofficial consort had won her admiration and respect, even from the new King George II and his wife Queen Caroline. Melusine was allowed to mourn as a wife. Queen Caroline wrote to her: “My first thought, my dear Duchess, has been of you…I know well your devotion and love for the late King…I hope you realise that I am your friend.”

The grief-stricken Melusine returned to England, where King George I had provided for her financially. In 1728, Melusine used the bequest from George I to purchase a house near the River Thames in Isleworth in west London, which she named Kendal House, after one of her peerages. There, Melusine lived out the remainder of her life in the companionship of a large bird, probably a raven, in which she believed George’s soul had been reincarnated. Melusine died on May 10, 1743, aged 75, at her home Kendal House. She was buried at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England.

Grosvenor Chapel where Melusine is buried; Credit – By GrindtXX – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90320190

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

• Beauclerk-Dewar, P. and Powell, R., 2006. Right Royal Bastards. Wilmington, DE: Burke’s Peerage & Gentry.
• De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Gustav Adolf Von Der Schulenburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Adolf_von_der_Schulenburg> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
• De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Melusine Von Der Schulenburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Melusine Von Der Schulenburg, Duchess Of Kendal. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg,_Duchess_of_Kendal> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King George I Of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-i-of-great-britain/> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
• Williamson, D., 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.
• Worsley, Lucy, 2011. Courtiers. London: Faber.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Elizabeth Villiers, she was the first cousin of another royal mistress, Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, born Barbara Villiers, a mistress of King Charles II of England. Their fathers were brothers. Elizabeth was born in 1657, one of the eight children of Colonel Sir Edward Villiers, an English politician and military officer from the powerful Villiers family, and Frances Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk.

Elizabeth had seven siblings:

• Anne Villiers (circa 1651 – 1688) married William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, had five daughters and two sons
• Barbara Villiers (1654 – 1708) married John Berkeley, 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge, had two daughters; Barbara was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne and governess to her son Prince William, Duke of Gloucester.
• Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey (1656 – 1711) married Barbara Chiffinch, had two sons and one daughter. Edward was Master of the Horse to Queen Mary II, Lord Chamberlain to King William III and Queen Anne, Ambassador at The Hague, Ambassador in Paris, Secretary of State for the Southern Department, and one of the Lords Justices of England.
• Katherine Villiers, married (1) Louis James Le Vasseur, Marquis de Puissar (2) William Villiers
• Henry Villiers (died 1707), married ? , had two children
• Mary Villiers (died 1753), married William O’Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, had four sons and two daughters
• Henrietta Villiers (died 1720) married John Campbell, 2nd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, had one son and two daughters

In 1660, King Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York, the future King James II, married Anne Hyde. Elizabeth’s mother, Frances Villiers, was appointed governess to James and Anne’s children. Although they would have eight children, all but two, the future Queen Mary II and the future Queen Anne, died in infancy or early childhood. In 1677, 15-year-old Mary married William III, Prince of Orange, her first cousin, the son of her paternal aunt Mary, Princess Royal. Frances Villiers used her position to secure positions in the future Queen Mary II’s household for her daughters. Elizabeth, along with her sisters Anne 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 future Queen Mary II, 1677; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Villiers was not considered to be a beauty. She moved awkwardly, had a bad complexion, and a squint, perhaps from nearsightedness, but she was witty, intelligent, and an excellent conversationalist. In 1679, when William III, Prince of Orange 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.

The future King William III of England, 1680s; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1685, Mary’s father, now King James II of England, hoping to break up his daughter’s marriage with the Prince of Orange, had encouraged others to relay gossip from Mary and William’s household to him. Through the meddling of King James II, Elizabeth and William’s affair became public knowledge, and Elizabeth was sent back to England. To stop the rumors in England, Elizabeth’s father begged the Prince and Princess of Orange 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. William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, a favorite of the Prince of Orange as well as the husband of Elizabeth’s sister Anne, had forbidden his wife to socialize with her sister Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the affair between Elizabeth and William III, Prince of Orange continued and was to last until 1695, a total of fifteen years.

William and Mary became King William III and Queen Mary II, joint rulers, in 1688, after King James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution. Elizabeth returned to London and lived for a while with her sister Katherine. Eventually, Elizabeth moved into lodgings close to Kensington Palace, where William and Mary had settled, and she resumed seeing William. As before, the affair was conducted discreetly.

On December 28, 1694, 32-year-old Queen Mary II died from smallpox. The same disease had killed both of William’s parents. William was devastated by Mary’s death and said “from being the happiest” he was “now going to be the miserablest creature on earth.” William continued to reign alone until his death in 1702 when he was succeeded by Mary’s sister and his first cousin Anne.

George Hamilton, !st Earl of Orkney; Credit – Wikipedia

Within a year of Mary’s death, William ended his relationship with Elizabeth Villiers, motivated by the wishes of his wife expressed before her death. He arranged for Elizabeth to marry one of his regimental commanders and thereafter ignored her. On November 25, 1695, Elizabeth married her second cousin, George Hamilton, Brigadier General of the Royal Scots, the son of William Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Selkirk and Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton. George Hamilton was quickly created Earl of Orkney, Viscount Kirkwall, and Lord Dechmont. He was also appointed Governor of Virginia, a lucrative appointment, however, he installed a deputy to attend to business in Virginia, and he never needed to go to Virginia.

Elizabeth and George had three daughters:

• Lady Anne Hamilton, 2nd Countess of Orkney in her own right (1696 – 1756), married her cousin William O’Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, had four sons and four daughters
• Lady Frances Hamilton (circa 1700 – 1772), married Thomas Lumley-Saunderson, Earl of Scarbrough, had two sons and three daughters
• Lady Henrietta Hamilton (died 1732), married John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork, had two sons and one daughter

Both Elizabeth and her husband George went from serving the Stuart monarchs to serving the Hanoverian monarchs. George was a Lord of the Bedchamber to King George I and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. He also sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer and was the first British Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

Cliveden; Credit – By WyrdLight.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4404784

Elizabeth remained at the center of royal activities and kept up her friendship with politicians who continually valued her opinions. George and Elizabeth entertained both King George I and King George II at their country seat of Cliveden in Buckinghamshire, England, which had been acquired by Elizabeth’s kinsman George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in 1666 and was purchased by George Hamilton in 1696.

Taplow Court; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney, died on April 19, 1733, aged 76, at her London home in Albemarle Street. She was buried at Taplow Court, an Elizabethan manor house owned by her husband, in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Her husband, George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, survived her by four years, dying on January 29, 1737, at the age of 70. He was buried with his wife, Elizabeth.

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. Edward Villiers (1620–1689). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Villiers_(1620%E2%80%931689)> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess Of Orkney. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Hamilton,_Countess_of_Orkney> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Hamilton, 1St Earl Of Orkney. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hamilton,_1st_Earl_of_Orkney> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King William III Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-iii-of-england/> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
• Genealogics.org. 2020. Elizabeth Villiers. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00059439&tree=LEO> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
• Van Der Kiste, J., 2003. William And Mary. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine Sedley was born on December 21, 1657, the only child of Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet of Ailesford and Lady Catherine Savage, daughter of John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers. Catherine’s father was a Member of Parliament, a poet, and a playwright. During the reign of King Charles II of England, Sir Charles Sedley belonged to the intimate circle around Charles II and was known for his wit and his extravagant lifestyle. When Catherine was around twelve years old, her mother was sent to a convent in Ghent in the Habsburg Netherlands, now in Belgium, because of severe mental illness and remained in the care of the nuns until she died in 1705. Around 1670, Sir Charles began a relationship with Ann Ayscough that lasted the rest of his life. Sir Charles and Ann Ayscough had two sons, Catherine’s half-brothers: William Sedley who died in childhood, and Charles Sedley who was knighted by King William III in 1689 and created 1st Baronet of Southwell in 1702. Because his sons were born out of wedlock Sir Charles Baronet’s title became extinct upon his death in 1701.

James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1677, Catherine Sedley, because of her family’s wealth, was considered a marriage prospect for John Churchill, later 1st Duke of Marlborough, by his parents Sir Winston and Lady Churchill. However, negotiations were broken off but not before Catherine had become a frequent visitor to the court of King Charles II at the Palace of Whitehall. Catherine was eventually appointed a maid of honor to Maria Beatrice of Modena, Duchess of York, the second wife of James, Duke of York. Because King Charles II and his wife Catherine of Braganza had no children, James was the heir presumptive to the throne and did succeed his brother in 1685. Catherine caught the eye of James and became his mistress. Before she was sixteen years old, the diarist Samuel Pepys described Catherine as “none of the most virtuous, but a wit.” Catherine herself could not account for her success: “It cannot be my beauty for he must see I have none, and it cannot be my wit, for he has not enough to know I have any.”

Catherine and James had three children:

• Catherine Darnley (c. 1681 – 1743), married (1) James Annesley, 3rd Earl of Anglesey, had one daughter, (2) John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, had three sons
• James Darnley (1684 – 1685)
• Charles Darnley, died young

Catherine Sedley, circa 1685; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1685, upon the death of his brother King Charles II, who had at least fourteen illegitimate children but no legitimate children, James became King James II of England. Catherine’s yearly pension was doubled to £4,000 and she was created Countess of Dorchester and Baroness of Darlington in her own right for life. However, the birth in 1688 of King James II’s longed-for son and heir was his undoing. The English were willing to put up with one Catholic King but not a Catholic dynasty. King James II’s Protestant daughter Mary from his first marriage and nephew and son-in-law, William III, Prince of Orange were invited by Parliament to replace him and reign jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II of England. James II, with his wife and son, fled to France to spend the rest of his life supported by his first cousin King Louis XIV of France.

Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester, remained in England where her father boasted about his support for the new king and queen: “Well I am even with King James in point of civility, for as he made my daughter a Countess, so I have helped to make his daughter a Queen.” Catherine had no qualms about attending Queen Mary II’s court. Faced with Mary II’s coldness on seeing her father’s ex-mistress, Catherine had a typically brazen reply ready: “Remember, Ma’am, if I broke one Commandment with your father, you have broken another against him.” With the end of King James II’s reign, Catherine’s pension stopped and the grants of Irish land James II had given her were called into question. However, she may have acted as a double agent for William III who gave her a pension.

David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 20, 1696, 39-year-old Catherine married Sir David Colyear (1656 – 1730), Lieutenant-General of the Scots Brigade, the three Scottish regiments that had been fighting in the service of William III, Prince of Orange, now King of England. William III highly regarded Sir David and his military abilities and created him Earl of Portmore, Viscount of Milsington, and Lord Colyear in 1703.

The two sons of Catherine and David Colyear; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine and her husband had two sons:

• David Colyear, Viscount Milsington (1698 – 1728/29)
• Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore (1700 – 1785), married Juliana Hele, had two daughters and two sons

In 1714, at the coronation of King George I, Catherine met Charles II’s mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, and William III’s mistress Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney, and exclaimed “God! Who would have thought that we three whores should meet here.”

Catherine Sedley Colyear, Countess of Dorchester, Countess of Portmore died in Bath, England on October 26, 1717, aged 59, and her life peerage became extinct. She was initially buried in Bath, but in 1729, her remains were reinterred in the new Portmore vault at St. James’ Church in Weybridge, Surrey, England, where she had lived with her husband. Her husband David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore survived her by thirteen years, dying on January 2, 1730, at the age of 73, and was buried with Catherine.

St. James’ Church in Weybridge, Surrey, England; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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

• Beauclerk-Dewar, P. and Powell, R., 2006. Right Royal Bastards. Wilmington, DE: Burke’s Peerage & Gentry.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Catherine Sedley, Countess Of Dorchester. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Sedley,_Countess_of_Dorchester> [Accessed 20 September 2020].
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• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sir Charles Sedley, 5Th Baronet. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Charles_Sedley,_5th_Baronet> [Accessed 20 September 2020].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2017. King James II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-james-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 18 September 2020].
• Genealogics.org. 2020. Catherine Sedley Countess Of Dorchester. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00022999&tree=LEO> [Accessed 20 September 2020].