Villiers Revealed – Darling of the Stuart Court
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham was one of the most famous figures of early 17th century Europe. Born at Brooksby Hall in Leicestershire, he became the ‘favourite’ of King James I.
Royal Favourite
Courtier, Idol, Politician, Sex Symbol….Lover?
The Portrait
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, attributed to Paul van Somer, about 1619
Revealing LGBTQ+ and Queer Histories
LGBTQ+ and Queer stories in museums matter
Outing the Past?
Do we have the right to ‘out’ figures from the past?
Villiers’s Leicestershire Roots
How did a boy from rural Leicestershire grow up to become the favourite of two kings?
The Extraordinary Rise of George Villiers
'Heading for the precipice'
Dressed for Success
How Villiers styled his way to the top
Fall from Grace
‘The chief cause of these mischiefs and evils’
Courtier, Idol, Politician, Sex Symbol….Lover?
Famous within his own lifetime and beyond, Villiers was subject to speculation as to the nature of his relationship with King James I. Historical evidence details an intense closeness that we might describe as ‘Queer’ today. The King publicly lavished Villiers with kisses and declared himself as ‘husband’.
Today, speculation about their relationship continues. Previously, cultural historians have sometimes erased, misrepresented, or coded the language of LGBTQ+ lives.
Language like ‘just good friends’, ‘favourite’ or ‘companion’ have been used to describe queer lives and relationships in historical records or art history.
Villiers’s story is a reminder that LGBTQ+ life and love isn’t a side story in history, but it shapes history. A history we all inherit and can explore together. The ‘favourite’ continues to inspire debate and queer reflection.
This exhibition has been co-curated with Jon Sleigh and is an online version of the exhibition at Melton Carnegie Museum which runs from Saturday 5 October 2024 until Saturday 28 June 2025.
During the exhibition, Culture Leicestershire will be working with community groups and individuals to create artistic responses to the exhibition around the theme of identity and self-expression.
Visit the exhibition Melton Carnegie Museum www.meltonmuseum.org
Sign up for creative workshops email: culture@leics.gov.uk
Become a volunteer www.cultureleicestershire.co.uk/volunteering