Villiers was born in Brooksby , Leicestershire from a family of minor gentry. His ascent began notably in when, aged 21, he caught the attention of the King. His achievements include being knighted and climbing the ranks of nobility, eventually becoming the Duke of Buckingham. Villiers was the last in a succession of handsome young favourites on whom the King lavished affection and patronage. The pair were often accused of sodomy [ 4 ] and most historians today believe the relationship was sexual in nature.
Villiers' influence extended beyond the King's favour; he played a significant role in political and military affairs, including the negotiation of royal marriages and leading military expeditions. Buckingham's assassination in by John Felton , a disgruntled army officer, highlighted the extent of his unpopularity among the public. Villiers was born in Brooksby , Leicestershire, on 20 August , [ 7 ] [ 8 ] the second son of the minor gentleman Sir George Villiers β from his second wife.
His mother, Mary β , daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield, Leicestershire, was widowed early. She educated her son for a courtier's life and sent him to travel in France with John Eliot. Villiers took to the training set by his mother: he could dance and fence well, spoke a little French, and overall became an excellent student. Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Gloucester from to declared Villiers "the handsomest-bodied man in all of England; his limbs so well compacted, and his conversation so pleasing, and of so sweet a disposition".
Money was raised to purchase Villiers a new wardrobe, and intense lobbying secured his appointment as Royal Cup-bearer , a position that allowed him to make conversation with the King.
Under the King's patronage, Villiers advanced rapidly through the ranks of the nobility, and his court appointments grew in importance.
