Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Villiers
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Countess of Buckingham | |
| Tenure | 1618 - 1632 |
| Predecessor | Humphrey, Earl of Buckingham |
| Born | Mary Beaumont c. 1570 |
| Died | 19 April 1632 |
| Noble family | Beaumont |
| Spouse(s) | Sir George Villiers Sir William Rayner Sir Thomas Compton |
| Issue | John Villiers, 1st Viscount Purbeck George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh |
| Father | Anthony Beaumont |
| Mother | Anne Armstrong |
Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (born Beaumont; around 1570 – April 19, 1632) was a very influential woman in England. She is most famous for being the mother of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. George became a close and powerful friend to King James I. Mary was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont and Anne Armstrong.
Contents
Mary Villiers: A Powerful Mother
Mary Villiers was known for her strong personality and ambition. She played a big part in her family's rise to power during the time of King James I.
Her Family Life
Mary became the second wife of Sir George Villiers. They had four children together:
- John (born around 1590), who later became Viscount Purbeck.
- George (1592-1628), who became the powerful Duke of Buckingham.
- Christopher (died 1630), who later became the Earl of Anglesey.
- Susan (died 1651), who married William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh.
After her first husband died, Mary was given the special title of Countess of Buckingham in 1618. This meant she held the title in her own right. She married two more times: first to Sir William Rayner in 1606, and then to Sir Thomas Compton. In the early 1620s, she became a Roman Catholic. This was influenced by a Jesuit priest named John Percy.
Helping Her Son Rise
Mary Villiers was the first to see that her second son, George, could become very important in politics. Even though she was not rich when she married his father, she found money to send George to the French court. There, he learned important skills like fencing and dancing. He also became good at speaking French.
After preparing him with new clothes and skills, she sent him to the English Court. George quickly became a favorite of King James I. As George gained power, his mother, brothers, and half-brothers also became more important. King James I once said that his main goal was to help the Villiers family.
Mary also helped arrange George's marriage to Katherine, Baroness de Ros. Katherine was said to be the richest woman in England. Mary was very determined to make this marriage happen.
Later Life and Legacy
Mary Villiers was often at court. She even rode horses with King James and her daughter, Susan, the Countess of Denbigh. When King James was very ill, she was present and tried to help him.
In 1627, she lent money to the writer Elizabeth Cary, Viscountess Falkland. When her son, the Duke of Buckingham, was killed in 1628, Mary seemed to take the news calmly. People said she acted as if she had expected it. She was seen as a very strong woman, but some people thought she was too ambitious and greedy.
Mary Villiers died four years after her son, in 1632. She was buried in Westminster Abbey, a very famous church in London.
See also
- Villiers family
