Portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), half-length, in armour, wearing the sash of the Order of the Garter, a baton in his right hand, his left hand resting on his helmet, an English fleet beyond

George Villiers was a favourite of both King James I and King Charles I. He was raised to the peerage as Viscount Villiers in 1616, becoming Earl of Buckingham the following year, and Marquis in 1618. Royal favour made him the richest and most powerful noble in the land and he was created Duke of Buckingham and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Buckingham negotiated the marriage of King Charles I with Henrietta Maria, and continued to be the favourite of the King despite fierce opposition to him in Parliament stemming from his military failures at Cadiz and at the seige of La Rochelle. In 1628 Buckingham was assassinated by John Felton, who had taken part in Buckingham's two unsuccessful expeditions to Cadiz and the Isle of Rh.