Unravelling the enigma

JOSEPH ELLIS is impressed by a detailed, colourful and insightful biography of George Villiers, a Stuart royal favourite who made powerful enemies

In just over a decade, George Villiers, later the Duke of Buckingham, was transformed from a court nobody into the most powerful courtier in the realm. His looks and charisma were famously unmatched. He was the incontestable favourite of not one king but two. He wielded an unprecedented level of political influence.

Recently, Buckingham (1592–1628) found stardom once again when the Sky Atlantic television series Mary & George thrust him back into public consciousness. The upcoming 400th anniversary of the death of James VI & I, and the accession of Charles I, will no doubt spark further interest in their shared favourite.

But where did “the handsomest-bodied man in all of England” come from? And who was the man behind the “face of an angel”? Scapegoat reveals the complex and flawed character lurking beyond the superstar image.

Lucy Hughes-Hallett dedicates more than 600 pages to a career that was meteoric, bright and brief. Such a sizeable tome promises to offer remarkable insights into one of history’s most fascinating characters – and it delivers. Buckingham leaps off the page. An expert at self-promotion, he converted the influence of a favourite into the power of a chief minister. His modesty and charm enabled him to stay one step ahead of his opponents. He worked like a dog on behalf of his royal masters; being a favourite was not just a privilege, it was a full-time occupation.