4. Buckingham + Foreign Policy Flashcards
Who was Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham?
He was the 2nd son of a Leicestershire gentleman but gained rapid promotion in James I’s Court after he became the King’s lover.
Why was Buckingham unpopular in James’s court?
He took advantage of his relationship with James to work his way up from minor gentry, rising above those in higher social positions.
What position was Buckingham given in Charles’s court?
He became Charles’s closest confidant and was then given command of the war effort against Spain and France.
What were Buckingham’s two foreign policy failures?
1625 - An attack on Cadiz in Spain which failed miserably.
1627 - La Rochelle in France, when Charles tried to help the protestant French huguenots. Less than half the army returned.
How did Parliament react to these foreign policy failures?
They wanted Buckingham impeached, so Charles dissolved Parliament to avoid this.
When was Buckingham assassinated?
1628, when Buckingham had gone to Portsmouth to organise another campaign to aid La Rochelle. He was assassinated by John Felton, an army officer who thought he had been passed over for promotion by Buckingham.
