Duke of Buckingham

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-07-05 Diary Coverage: Up to 1874-02-03

Identity

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), English courtier and favorite of King James I and Charles I.

Diary References

1874

• February 3: Marie reading about him in "Louis XIV et son siècle," becomes obsessed. "Il n'y a qu'un Anglais qui peut être aussi beau." Notes he was "aussi gros que Hamilton" (as fat as Hamilton). "Hamilton est un Buckingham moderne!"

Historical Context

• Famous for beauty and charm
• Romantic figure in French history (affair with Anne of Austria)
• Assassinated in 1628
• Marie's ideal of aristocratic masculinity
• Connects to her Hamilton obsession