Mother of all pushy parents How spare son was moulded to catch eye of King James I
When Mary Villiers looked at her four children, she saw the mother of all opportunities. Her gaze settled on gorgeous George, the spare. Her second son, he wasn’t going to inherit any family riches. But he had other potential, she cannily realised. He was tall and handsome, well-made and leggy. Ripe for moulding, training, polishing.
In that moment an extraordinary chapter in British history began – one told in Mary & George, the Sky Atlantic period drama which – after its success here – is about to air in America, making it one of the UK’s biggest global hits of the year so far.
It’s good news for actor Nicholas Galitzine, 29, who plays the eponymous George, who is now being talked about by Hollywood industry insiders as a breakout star.
The real intrigue about Mary and George lies in the true tale – and the story of how a woman of lesser means in 17th century England was able to seduce the King, through her son.
So scandalous was the tale, the history books have long ignored it.
But there’s no denying Mary Villiers – played in the drama by Julianne Moore – was a strict mum with Machiavellian tendencies, centuries before the pushy mums we hear about today.
In 1606, Mary’s first husband had died, bequeathing her nothing but a heap of debts. As she negotiated a new marriage to save her family, she hatched a plan to raise up her handsome son and with him, the family fortunes. All he needed to do was catch the eye of James VI of Scotland and I of England, famous for his love of easy-on-the-eye fellas.
It began a saga that ended in murder.
History is still debating whether that was one murder or two. But before George could meet King
James – played in the show by Tony Curran, there were years of preparation.
First, he was sent to France to learn to charm, seduce and dance.
“Mary came from impoverished aristocracy,” says historian Jem Duducu. “She married relatively well, but still they had fallen from grace.
“If her son could get into the Royal Court, it would elevate her standing, ensuring the bloodline would be reinvigorated with money, lands, titles and opportunity.”
King James had been king of Scotland since he was one, the only son of Mary Queen of Scots who was soon beheaded by Elizabeth I. But when Elizabeth died childless, he had the last laugh, ascending her throne in 1603 to become King of England too. He married Princess Anne of Denmark and stuffed his court with Scotsmen which ruffled English ruffs. What if they could get an Englishman close to the king, they wondered? So with the support of disgruntled courtiers, Mary was able to proceed with stage two of her plan. She kitted George out in the latest fashions and packed him off to the raucous court. At an estate in Northamptonshire in 1614, George was positioned as a cupbearer to wait upon the King. During the dancing and revelry that followed, he impressed and was soon elbowing James’ established favourite Robert Carr out of the way.
And out of the King’s bed, as some suggest? “The relationship between George and James was controversial even during their lives,” says Jem. “It is no secret that James had a number of young male favourites.
“Prior to the 20th century, it is very hard to prove anybody’s sexuality, it just wasn’t written about. James himself recognised his relationship with George was controversial and tried to set it straight, comparing his love for George to Jesus’s love of John.
“By using this religious comparison, it was the ultimate sign that they were ‘just good friends’.
“The critics will say that he protests too much. But on the other hand, it’s worth pointing out that James had seven children and George had four...
“So to portray them as purely gay lovers is historically inaccurate.”
But whatever the ins and outs of the tight-knit bond between George and
His Majesty, it brought rich rewards. First George was made Gentleman of the Bedchamber. Yes, really.
The attention Mary had lavished on his courtly education, added to his natural charm, meant he shot past all rivals in the decade that followed, ending up as the Duke of Buckingham, Mary was a countess.
Learning Mary’s lessons well, as James – never a healthy man – began to decline, George also began to lavish attention on the heir to throne, Charles.
The King passed away in March 1625, during a bout of
dysentery. By the side of his sickbed was Mary and George. The rumours of poison and foul play began to swirl. Had they committed regicide? Mary had argued with the court physician and sent him away, suggesting a plaster of her own that would help instead, which was duly brought in and applied to the royal skin, after which James died. Was the bandage poisoned?
Mary seemed capable of anything but ultimately they were cleared of all suspicion and George went on ingratiating himself with King Charles I. His influence has been blamed for the path that would eventually lead Charles to the chopping block in 1649.
“It is true that George continued to be a court favourite under James’s son Charles. This is despite the fact that George was pretty awful at every job he ever did,” explains Jem. “He was eventually murdered by a disgruntled soldier, who had been wounded in one of George’s military misadventures.”
When Mary was told his 1628 murder, she barely reacted, having had a premonition of her son’s sticky end.
She would follow him to the grave just four years later, to be buried in Westminster Abbey.
Wife, mother, political animal and puppet master, she was formidable and changed the course of history.
Jem Duducu’s Podcast, Condensed Histories is available now.