The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham

by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

From the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, an extraordinary story of the meteoric rise and fall of King James I’s favorite, George Villiers, the first Duke of Buckingham.

As the king’s lover, Buckingham was one of the most flamboyant and enigmatic seventeenth-century Englishmen at the heart of royal and political life. A dazzling figure on horseback and a skillful player of the political game, he rapidly transformed the influence his beauty gave him into immense wealth and power. By the time he was thirty-three he had been first minister to two successive kings.

With a novelist’s touch, Lucy Hughes-Hallett transports us into a courtly world of masques and dancing, exquisite clothes, the art of Rubens and Van Dyck, gender-fluidity, sex, and appallingly rudimentary medicine. These were dangerous and complicated times, an era where witch hunts coexisted with Descartian rationality, and Buckingham stood at its center--until his spectacular fall from grace.

From tempestuous scenes in Parliament to the political force of public opinion, The Scapegoat is a rich and compelling story with deep resonance for today’s world. Hughes-Hallett’s extraordinary recreation of the period delves into love, war, and pacifism in a society on the brink of cataclysmic change.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature, Biography Memoir, LGBT, Audiobook

680 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I stumbled upon this massive brick of a book in the library, I was intrigued but doubted I would ever get around to reading such a thick tome.

I was wrong. I read it and enjoyed it.

Arranged into short manageable chapters with "theme titles" (Dancing; Corruption; The Art of Peace; Sex; etc) the book manages to be both chronological and accessible.

Much insight into the nature of "favourites" — and the dangers of being close to the throne (or the seat of power, which continue to this day).

Seems to be very well researched, and written in a fluid engaging manner. As someone who knows very little about the topic, I can't comment on the author's positions or conclusions, but I found the work consistently engaging and rewarding.

In private correspondence King James and Buckingham referred to each other in loving terms, such as "Husband and father" or "Husband and son" and so on. Buckingham was also "brotherly" towards Prince Charles and his position of influence continued after the death of King James when Charles ascended to the throne (which eventually did not work out so well).

But that's another story.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough and easy to follow look at George Villiers/Duke of Buckingham and his role as favourite to King James I and his son King Charles I.

I especially appreciated that it’s not only a chronological retelling, but it’s also subdivided into smaller thematic chapters that focus specific topics, usually giving more historical context.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. It’s unusual for me to read about the early modern period in my downtime, but this was so engaging.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biography of a fascinating, often vilified historical figure. Thorough, well-written and engaging.

[History Today]

In spring 1622 King James VI & I’s favourite, George Villiers, then marquess of Buckingham, toured Fontainebleau Palace with the Flemish artist and diplomat Peter Paul Rubens. Admiring Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, the Englishman ‘asked if he might have it’ but was firmly rebuffed. ‘Unaccustomed to having his requests denied, Buckingham was put out, but the day was otherwise pleasant.’ Evincing Buckingham’s audacity as well as his connoisseurship, this instance is one of numerous scenes vividly recreated in Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s The Scapegoat. More a cluster of evocative vignettes than a conventional biography, her life of Buckingham is presented in more than 100 chapters, with some – such as ‘More Advice on Bargaining’ – extending to barely 100 words, while others – such as ‘Houses’ – supplying a chronological list of property acquisitions. As Hughes-Hallett indicates at the outset: ‘This book is about big things – peace and war, Parliament and despotism. It is also about small things – babies, jewels, anemones … aiming to make a collage that conjures up a life in all its complexity.’

Reading The Scapegoat sometimes feels like reviewing the author’s informal working notes. Hughes-Hallett’s prose style shifts from narrative description to imaginative speculation; when discussing how Buckingham and Prince Charles sought to extricate themselves from Philip IV’s court in Madrid in July 1623, she presents ‘two possible guessed-at versions of their all-night conversations’.

Rendered in luxuriant detail are the flamboyant personalities, material magnificence and complex hierarchies that comprised court culture under James VI and I, Charles I, Louis XIII of France and Philip IV of Spain. Regular modern interjections also echo Hughes-Hallett’s novel Peculiar Ground (2017), which moves in focus from Oxfordshire in the 1660s to Berlin in the 1970s. Chronological shifts evidently attract the author, who posits that comparing a portrait of Buckingham by William Larkin with another executed five years later by Anthony van Dyck is ‘to have the dizzying experience of a ride in a vastly accelerated time machine’. Confronted by centuries of salacious speculation regarding the nature of Buckingham’s relations with James, Hughes-Hallett is forthright in insisting that, since theirs was ‘the kind of love that ambushes at first sight’, it ‘doesn’t much matter’ whether sexual intercourse occurred – even if ‘the not-mattering is alien to the twenty-first century mind’. Less compelling – at least in terms of appreciating the scale of Buckingham’s political influence – is her observation that she started working on The Scapegoat in 2020 at a time when ‘large decisions about the way Britain was ruled were being made by one of the prime minister’s staff, Dominic Cummings’, who ‘seemed to come, as Buckingham did, from nowhere’ and then ‘became a scapegoat, as Buckingham did four hundred years before’. Such a comparison seems needlessly flattering to Cummings.

Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...

Clare Jackson is Honorary Professor of Early Modern History at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent this by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was thrilled to receive this because this is the period I studied for A Level History. I've always found James I and his court fascinating and how he was able to be so open with his love for male favourites. Although it says it's about the life of George Villiers it's also a biography of the times he lived in which puts a lot of his actions into context. Hughes-Hallett has written an accessible work full of detail that brings the period and its players to life. This is a superb book of that era.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5. Written in a lively style but too long

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Scapegoat
Author: Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Source: Orlando Public Library
Date Published: November 19, 2024

I have always enjoyed historical fiction, especially the European and Russian courts. If you think politics is brutal now, you should read some of these books. The Scapegoat is about the life and times of the Duke of Buckingham, who rose to prominence by being the lover and companion of the very married and very male King James. At one time, Buckingham was widely considered the most beautiful man in Europe and greatly admired. Please note that this is a long novel, over 600 pages, and requires serious notes, highlights, and a summary of the characters. But, if you stay diligent and love history, this is a very well-told story that is exhaustively researched and factually based. It is an important story because the Duke of Buckingham became the precursor for the modern British royal family we know today. #TheScapegoat #LucyHughesHallett #ocls #DuckofBuckingham #KingJames #England #UnitedKingdom #RoyalCourt #history #murders #intrigue #loyalty #deception #religion @ocls
🇬🇧

#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader#bookreviewer #history

[Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear King James, next time keep your boy toys in the bedroom. Thank you.

PS Balthazar G. was a good lad thou.

[Ken Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

[10 Aug 2025] An excellent, almost exemplary, biography of George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham and his relationship with King James VI and I and his son, Charles I. It is written in strong narrative with verb and pace. The language is precise, clear and concise. it makes for pleasurable and enjoyable reading, particularly because each episode of his life is detailed in relatively short chapters. The details of his life are amazing - A good looking - pretty boy - sent to the notorious court of a gay/bisexual king -specifically for adoption as a favourite or a lover - whether or not that was his own inclination. He was promoted and given responsibility that far exceeded his talents.

We can never truly know what went on behind the chamber door, but whether or not Buckingham was a wholly willing participant who fell in love or whether he had his mind focused on career progression or a bit of both - we’ll never be sure. He made multiple mistakes and these cost thousands of people their lives. He was in many respects a tragic figure, some might say incompetent. Turning to the title, I’m not 100% sure it fits. One could equally argue he became intensely unpopular and even hated because of his own poor decisions.

It is a very useful primer to the beginnings of the civil war. It brilliantly evokes the Stuart court, describes their thinking, behaviour and daily lives. It is so well written that even if history isn’t your thing then you’ll still get a lot from it. I loved it and would recommend it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of both Buckingham’s life and the world in which he lived. He rose to an astonishingly high position because he was charming, elegant, accommodating, and incredibly good-looking. As a companion to kings and holder of administrative offices in the state, Hughes-Hallett shows that he was skilled, hardworking, and reliable. As a diplomat and maker of foreign policy and war plans, he was a disaster, being directly responsible, as Hughes-Hallett shows, for the deaths of thousands and indirectly responsible for the deaths and suffering of tens of thousands. His warmongering was wasteful, strategically stupid, and worse than useless. He also reinforced all of Charles I’s worst tendencies and contributed largely to the disaster of Charles’s reign. But he was awfully pretty and, according to everyone who really knew him, smart and funny and thoroughly charming.

[Darryl Tomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I’ve found the Duke of Buckingham intriguing for some time; as the lover of James I, the variously feted and hated favourite of James and then Charles; his various disastrous military campaigns, and then his murder.
However this book just brings all of this to life in such a memorable way. There’s many curious echoes of our own time in the meteoric rise and fall of other favourites, eg Elon Musk.
I have to confess I do end up really liking Buckingham for all of his faults. I’ve visited his tomb several times on school trips to Westminster Abbey. Next time I go I feel like I’ll have a new appreciation of this flawed but fascinating man.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This is not my usual period of history I'm into, but I found myself interested, especially considering that there is a recent show based on him and his mother. I found it really good, it's well written and very informative. It presents a fair view of Buckingham, neither a saint or a sinner, just a human who did good things and unkind things, like most people. I learned quite a lot about his life and his relationship with James. James and Buckingham relationship is complicated and intense at times. It was strong. Some of it comes across odd nowdays, but that's life and people are weird. I reccomend it if you're interested in the subject matter.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are so many things about this book that annoyed me most spectacularly The Publishing Triangle Award for Gay Non Fiction, you can regard the Duke of Buckingham as 'gay' if you define 'gat' as any man having undefined but intimate relations with another man but not if 'gay' is to be taken in the sense of defining and self defining identity. But that nomination was outside the author's control but the books she consulted are and that she is happy to list C.V. Wedgwood's hoary and of date 1938 volume on the Thirty Years war but not more recent works such as Peter H. Wilson's 'Europe's Tragedy' from 2009 does not fill me with confidence about her familiarity with sources or even real understanding of the period.

I also found her need to announce her moral uneasiness with the way the young Buckingham was paraded and pushed into the arms and bed of King James fatuous. If Ms, Hughes-Hallett is going to parade moral judgements of past times she might better exercise some sympathy for children in mines, factories or on warships and in armies. The plight of aristocratic youth in his twenties peddling his good looks for advancement in court is not really an object for sympathy. Nor do I find her complaints that as a female biographer/historian the male dominated world of the Stuarts' was uncongenial. I would suggest that as a biographer of the grotesquely misogynistic Gabriele D'Unannzio she should be used to male dominated history. In any case for those of us who remember Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi, Condoleezza Rice, Madeleine Albright or Chandrika Bandaranaike the difference in plumbing does not prevent someone been an appalling murderous shit.

The real problem with this biography is that having just read 'The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I' by Steven Veerapen I hard already read a much better, nuanced and learned, but equally readable, history of these times and one which dealt with Buckingham within the context of the history of the times and reign of King James VI & I. Although most of Ms Hughes-Hallett's biography was probably written by the time Mr. Veerpan's book came out if she had applied any reasonable amount oh real historical research or thought she might have avoided accepting the reality of King James's physical deformities with more circumspection.

Mr. Veerpan's on King James VI is the best book to read because it places Buckingham and what he did and didn't do within a proper historical context. Ms. Hughes-Hallett burdens, or really pads out, her biography with long digressions on people like the duchess of Bedford (to make up for the lack of powerful women at court?) and ancillary characters like George Abbot, archbishop of Cantebury, or Francis Bacon. At over 600 pages her biography has everything except discrimination.

In many ways a far better account of Buckingham can be found in the novel 'The Assassin' by Ronald Blythe which is actually about Buckingham's assassin, John Felton and at 275 pages it, along with Veerpan's 400+ pages the two books are definitely better, more informative reads then this Brobdingnagian biography.

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked at the author's bio and saw she had written fiction as well -- I wasn't surprised, her writing is so imaginative and clear.

I knew nothing of Buckingham (and I still don't know much I even care about the gentleman). What I do love about the book is:

She makes another era with quite different values and perspective come into focus. One example is show she contrasts their views on friendship and love with ours -- friendship was often often extolled more than love. And she's not doing a heavy-handed contrast; we know our views on love, it's theirs that she explains.

I'm listening to the book and the author is a narrator. I love that aspect too! In part, the British accent just accentuates (yes, accent twice) how British this history is, with a homosexual king and his consorts, and a bishop helping to contrive the relationships. And they called the Pope the anti-Christ. And, her passion comes through too, such as when she talks about some of the artists and paintings.

The final surprise to me is how much material was available to the author. She starts by listing and detailing her most substantive sources, which is quite the list. Some biographies have the author inferring, speculating, or just stating there are blanks. It seems the letters and journals of everyone of that era were kept! Of course, some speculation or inference will remain, such as the physical details of loving (friendship?) relationships, but so much is known.

[Tim Gillett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved history at school, probably because it was brought alive by a first class teacher. For example, when studying Henry VIII, rather than remember whether his wives were murdered or lived, I never forgot him telling us that the king's body bubbled away and exploded in its coffin from all his excessive eating and drinking.

Mr Fountain never got round to teaching us about the Stuart kings, possibly because he was taking time off to defend himself against manslaughter in a case in which he'd killed a burglar with an antique sword.

If he had, he may well have introduced us to George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, who has been brought to life by author Lucy Hughes-Hallett in The Scapegoat.

The amount of research she has done to source this 628 page tome must have been immense. Details such as the works of art collected by the Duke and his cohorts and where they've ended up now is just one example of the lengths the author has gone to, to make this the definitive work on Villiers, who she subtitles as having had a "brilliant brief life." Brief yes but brilliant? Brilliant in what he achieved I would agree but brilliant as a model of moral living - hardly.

What is brilliant is how a sixth child of a "Leicestershire gentleman" would become, in many contemporaries' eyes, more powerful than both James I and his successor Charles I, in deciding Britain's foreign policy and whether and when to go to war with Spain and others.

What is wholly remarkable, and largely unknown and untaught in British history is that the Duke of Buckingham was the homosexual lover of James I and, most likely, of Charles I. It would be remarkable that he was the gay lover of just James, but of James' son too, is incredible.

I'm fascinated as to how widely known among English people of the first half of the seventeenth century this was. Lucy Hughes- Hallett goes some way in relating how people used rhymes and double entendres to suspect and then more publicly state what was going on, presumable from stories emanating from the kings' bedchamber. This in an age when the kings of England still believed, perhaps they still do, that God had given them the right to rule over the sceptred isle, and when the subjects were more than deferent - they feared for their lives if they criticised the monarch or indeed, the king's chief minister. The author in well researched detail relates how inch by inch, the MPs of the time began to question the set up between Buckingham and the kings. Strengthened by Buckingham's clueless military forays abroad, especially in La Rochelle and Ile de Re, rumours about whether Buckingham actually had a hand in James I's death, and the despicable betrayal of British sailors abandoned unpaid, homeless and starving, the whispers became a crescendo and eventually the dam was broken and the fraught relationship between the Commons and Charles I broke down.

Lucy Hughes - Hallett's so readable account of the the simple yet shocking slaying of Buckingham by a disgruntled Suffolk soldier hits the reader like a thunder bolt. The author is meticulous in her research. The killer "had bought a knife for ten pennies from a cutler's shop on Tower Hill." What is fascinating is how Charles I and Buckingham's wife Katherine react. The king, writes the author, was told the news as he said his morning prayers. He continued, finished, and "departed to his chamber, and threw himself upon his bed, lamenting with much passion and with abundance of tears." An eye witness to the violent death of Buckingham, tells how Katherine Buckingham's "screechings, tears and distractions" were such "that I never in my life heard the like before, and hope never to hear the like again." Yet, Kate Buckingham must have known during her marriage to George that he was bisexual and was allowed unfettered access to the bed chambers of both James I and Charles I. She would have known the sexual liaisons between her husband and each of the English kings.

What's more, the mother of George Buckingham, who, as described by the author, carefully planned and nurtured her son's education and steady elevation to the royal court must have become aware at some point that his relationship with James I had become sexual. There are questions that need to be asked. Her son was just twenty two when he first encountered James I who was forty eight - old enough to be his father! These days there would be suspicion of grooming. These are details I would have liked more of in The Scapegoat. Though Lucy Hallett- Hughes tells the reader how George, whose "beauty was extraordinary," was called "sweetheart" by James I and "my sweet child and wife" even though the king was married, and how the king shared his bed with Buckingham, there's nothing on the feelings of Buckingham's mother to her son's emerging homosexuality. Then, when a similar sexual relationship developed with Charles I who "worshipped" Buckingham "as a nervous adolescent worships an older and infinitely more glamorous brother," again there is no mention of mother's reaction or indeed, reaction from Buckingham's wife and the wives of the the kings. It's clear from the book that James I and Queen Anna lived separate lives, and it's hinted that Buckingham and James' son, the future Charles I, began to become close as King James became bed ridden, and closer still on a delightfully described adventure to the Spanish royal court to try to get Charles married to a Spanish princess.

I would have liked more on the homosexual antics and relationships between Buckingham and the two kings. There are quotes from love letters and it may be that there simply is no recorded written detail of it, or could it be that Lucy Hallett- Hughes or her publisher decided to go so far and no further.

But my cheeky criticism should not take away from this excellent book, which readers may think is too in depth and beyond them. It is not. Presented in bite size chapters and written in such an accessible way, it is enthralling.

As it is, The Scapegoat is a masterful work which reveals the salaciousness of yet another English king in what we always thought was the strait laced new Protestant and puritan England of the early 1600's. How wrong we were.

[Katie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beloved of two kings and arguably the de facto ruler of England for a while, the Duke of Buckingham's life was as breathtaking as it was brief. Hughes-Hallett chronicles the 14 years Buckingham spent at the center of English politics, until he was struck down by an assassin's blade at age 35. She does so in a series of vignettes and scenes, rounding out Buckingham's portrait in all its multilayered facets. He emerges as a complicated figure, far from a saint but all the more interesting for it.

At times Hughes-Hallett seems a little bit enamored of her subject -- it was as if he was exercising a whisper of his famous charisma down the years. He especially comes out the better when compared with Charles in the way the two were inclined to handle recalcitrant Parliaments. The foreshadowing here feels a bit heavy-handed. On the other hand, they did end up chopping Charles's head off for it, so... fair.

I liked the way Hughes-Hallett set Buckingham in his time period as well as situating him in his relationships with James and Charles. It's effective and well-drawn.

[TJ West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve long been fascinated by George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, ever since I read Philippa Gregory’s Earthly Joys in which he was a major character. There was just something appealing about this figure who seemed to wear his queerness on his sleeve and didn’t care whether others condemned him for sleeping with men, including no less a figure than King James himself.

Now, at last, he gets the extensive biography that he’s due, with Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s new book, The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham. This is one of the best biographies that I’ve recently, for while she doesn’t shy away from the less palatable elements of her subject’s personality and life, she also provides balance, giving us a nuanced look at one of the 17th century’s most controversial–and, among the common folk at least, most hated–political figures.

It’s really quite remarkable just how successful Villiers was in using his gifts–particularly his good looks and his charm–to not only gain the adoration and love of King James I but to hold onto those things when so many other previous favourites had lost them for various reasons. Theirs was, for better and worse, a love for the ages. Hughes-Hallett provides rich evidence for just how deep this relationship went for both men, who were bound together by something more than just political considerations. Indeed, while it has become fashionable to paint Buckingham’s motivations as primarily mercenary in nature, Hughes-Hallett seems to believe that he really did love James. After all, he remained loyal to his monarch until the latter’s death, and there’s little reason to beleive–whatever TV series like Mary & George might propose–that he actually was responsible for James’ demise.

Buckingham was more intermittently successful when it came to wooing his fellow members of the nobility. He was, as The Scapegoat repeatedly points out, someone who truly did believe that he had what it took to be a brilliant statesman. The last years of Buckingham’s life, unfortunately, were marred by various strategic blunders on his part, many of which revolved around his aborted efforts to launch raids against both Spain and France. Though his intentions were to elevate England into the status of a great power, the effect was often exactly the opposite. Despite his best intentions, he remained stymied by that thing that has cost so many leaders their popularity: shortage of money. As Parliament became ever more recalcitrant in the face of royal overreach, Buckingham’s ambitions continued to run aground on the lack of funding.

We see time and again that it was the commoners who held Buckingham in the most contempt, and Hughes-Hallett draws extensively on contemporary documents to show just how deep this hatred ran. Buckingham, like so many other favourites throughout history, was understood to be everything that was wrong with the royal administration and so, since the common people couldn’t (or wouldn’t) dare to challenge King Charles himself, they decided to unload all of their opprobrium on Buckingham. To his credit, as the book makes clear, he wasn’t the type to respond with criticism of his own; instead, he was a born pleaser, and so he would do everything in his power to earn the love of his peers and, to a lesser extent, the commons.

As Hughes-Hallett demonstrates, it was Buckingham’s great fortune that he’d managed to make staunch allies out of not one but two kings. Neither James nor Charles was ever willing to part ways with him nor to even really discipline him, despite the grave damage that their favourite did to the Crown and its prestige. Had either of them been willing to do so, they might have found themselves more popular. Both of the early Stuarts, however, were absolutely convinced of their divine right to rule, which meant that, were they to throw Buckingham under the bus–to make a scapegoat of him, as it were–they would have admitted that they were wrong and that their judgment needed to be questioned. Clearly, this was something that neither of them was willing or able to do.

Buckingham emerges from these pages as a complex and brilliant and flawed man, someone who was able to ascend to the greatest heights of power thanks to his charisma and his beauty–and his wits–but who was really out of his depth when it came to military matters, no matter what the king or the duke might think. Buckingham’s tragedy was that was never really able to accept that he wasn’t the military genius that he thought he was.

This isn’t to say that he didn’t try, because he did. As Hughes-Hallett points out time and again, Buckingham wasn’t the type to just rest on his laurels. He really did give his all to try to make these various military adventures succeed. It’s hardly his fault–or not entirely his fault, anyway–that he was never given the money that he really needed to see his visions into a reality. It is his fault, though, that he refused to see this and kept pushing for a war in Europe even when it was clear that this was never going to come to pass and that, even if it did, Britain wasn’t likely to benefit.

While Buckingham obviously occupies the lion’s share of the narrative, Hughes-Hallett also gives us insight into the many other larger-than-life characters who also occupy this remarkable drama. There are, of course, the two kings, both of whom refused to acknowledge that times were changing and that their vision of an autocratic monarchy simply wasn’t going to be sustainable in the face of pressure from the House of Commons. However, there are a number of other interesting personages that strut across the story, including artists, diplomats and, of course, the women who were a key part of Buckingham’s life, including his mother, Mary, and his wife, Katherine.

All in all, this is a fascinating look at a deeply controversial figure who continues to fascinate us today.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would rate this 4.5 out of 5.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brief Summary: George Villiers was born a second son to a minor gentleman in England and rose to the heights of British politics. Becoming a favourite of James VI of Scotland and I of England, Villiers started his meteoric rise to the Dukedom of Buckingham. However, Villiers' swift rise to power did not gain him any friends among the Lords or the Commons. Politically skilled, but militarily inept Hughes-Hallett examines the impact of Villiers on British Politics and the Stuart Dynasty from his first appearance at court to his untimely death.

Thoughts: This was an exceptionally captivating biography. Hughes-Hallett's writing style draws the reader into the vivid and tumultuous courts of James VI and I and his son Charles I. There are many points where you feel you are watching a play of events rather than reading them on the page. However, the structure of the book often muddles the sequence of events. Perhaps it is because I am not as familiar with this time in history, but I had difficulty following when certain things happened in Villiers' life, for example, the births of his children. It was unclear to me when his heir Charles was born and how much of an age gap there was between his daughter Mary and Charles.

I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of life at the Stuart court during Villiers' lifetime, but in some ways, these details subsumed the biography. The loadstar of this book is Villiers as all the events are tied to him in some way. However, there is often more detail about the governing nature of both James and Charles Stuart outside of their relationships with Villiers. These details are interesting and help to frame why Villiers made certain choices throughout his life, but it did feel like this book was more than just a simple biography of one man. Hughes-Hallett's work demonstrates that you cannot discuss Stuart politics without including him.

The shining moment in this book was the discussion of Charles (later Charles I) and Villiers' trip to Spain. I had heard of this event in other books, but the level of detail that Hughes-Hallett included from the primary sources paints an evocative picture of events. After reading this section I began to contemplate if James's relationship with Villiers might shed some light on how James parented Charles and Charles' later developed obstinacy. Hughes-Hallett highlights how James often referred to Villiers as his "son" and Villiers in turn referred to James as his 'father" in letters. I find it interesting that Villiers and Charles took the same approach to the Spanish match and later when Charles was King he and Villiers were very good friends. Was James cultivating something in Charles that he liked about Villiers or did the mere association with James strengthen similar parts of Villiers and Charles' personalities? I also appreciated how Hughes-Hallett infused humour into her assessment of the trip to Spain. Given the evidence, it was a foolish idea to have undertaken.

The material history of Villiers' life was also fascinating. The clear description of his lavish dress and interest in art helped to flesh out Villiers as a person rather than simply a political player. His tastes were lavish and expensive for the time, even for a person of his rank. The description of his jewels and clothes and how he had himself depicted in art.

If you want to understand the early reign of the Stuarts in England I recommend you pick up a copy of this book. Hughes-Hallett weaves a captivating narrative about court dynamics, parliamentary politics, and human connection at the heart of the court.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography shows how George Villiers became the Duke of Buckingham and lived the adjectives “brilliant” and “brief”. As a favorite of two generations of kings he parlayed his extraordinary beauty into titles, roles and wealth.

When did this Duke sleep? He is Master of the Horse with a staff of over 200, managing the royal stables essential for transportation, hunting, war, competition and breeding. He is also Lord High Admiral overseeing war planning, shipbuilding, provisioning and leading troops. As liaison for the king (be it James or Charles) he attends Parliament meetings and carries out royal orders. All the while he is buying and improving properties and is a serious art collector with agents in continental Europe. He still finds some time for family and mistresses. He dies at age 35 and not of exhaustion, he seems to be just winding up.

The format of the book was new to me and it worked well. to organize in the sprawling material of an eventful life and era. There are 3 parts: Peace, Spain and War. Within these parts are short (1-12 pp) sections of two types.

One type covers Buckingham, building the narrative of his life.

The other type covers issues of the times that relate to what you just read or are about to read. For instance James I is a fanatic hunter and you read of its role in the life of the 17th century court and what it means for Buckingham.

Other sections can be short like the one on the rules of bargaining that introduced the biographical section where almost every rule is broken. Other sections can be on topics like “Jealousy” that give background on the fate of other “favorites” of past kings.

Within the sections there can be chronologies. For instance Parliament deliberations can be summarized in day by day notes or year by year data on Buckingham’s acquisition of houses and titles.
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There are jaw dropping adventures such as when Crown Prince Charles and Buckingham go to Spain to court the Infanta and Buckingham, going to war, overdressed, with hard to reconcile goals and battle decisions.

You come away with a very favorable impression of King James, who despite pressure for war, gave England 22 years of peace. His worst decisions were those promoted by Buckingham and (son) Charles who exerted constant pressure.

Buckingham is fascinating… his clothes are dazzling… his art collection, now somewhat dispersed has many paintings that are on their own are worth a fortune. You wonder with all his persuasive skills how he could be so naive in his judgment: How could he even have considered the trip to Spain or that he could make alliances with France by helping the Huguenots (who did not want his help).

The plates are well selected. There are B&W drawings throughout that, while you can tell what they are by their placement, should be labeled. The Index is good. There are Notes and a Bibliography.

If you are interested in this period it is a must read. The writer knows how give you background so you envision can the people and place. Page turning is sustained over 600+ pages Highly recommended.

[Nick Artrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested and received an eARC of The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham by Lucy Hughes-Hallett via NetGalley. This must be my year of reading about the Stuarts and their lovers and I am happy to be adding this title to my list. I was especially excited to see this on NetGalley after watching Mary & George earlier this year. Although the television program proved to be an occasionally tepid affair, the history remained fascinating. In Hughes-Hallett’s work George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham takes center stage as the author explores his origins and his meteoric rise as James I’s favorite.

The introduction to the text addressed two points that really interested me going into this work. Hughes-Hallett’s suggests that perhaps Buckingham wasn’t the monster some chose to portray him as (making him the titular scapegoat) and that those who knew him most intimately thought him kind, courteous and modest. The author also suggests that Buckingham and those connected with him in many ways subverted gender roles and traditional familial relationships. These claims are backed by the text that follows and are often used to pose very interesting questions that provide for a more nuanced understanding of the subject matter.

This was a captivating account of an often misaligned man. The text is well-sourced and the cast of characters who make up this history are well explained. Although this is quite lengthy, there are frequent chapter breaks, and the information is presented in a digestible way making it quite easy to put down this book and pick it up again without feeling lost. Hughes-Hallett uses Buckingham's and James’ personal histories to make interesting assessments of their characters. I particularly enjoyed the sections about James I’s childhood, the relationship between Buckingham and his mother, as well as the bits about Buckingham and Francis Bacon.

Perhaps, most importantly, this was a fun read! History can often be dry, but that isn’t the case here. Hughes-Hallett leaves no stone unturned as she explains the art, culture and prevailing attitudes of the era, while also providing enough salacious history to make for a very interesting reading experience. I found myself wanting a glimpse of Buckingham's famous legs or wondering how he might have spoken. I really appreciate the way the author breaks down complex understandings of friendship and sexuality in the early Stuart era. Being both informative and entertaining can be a difficult task, but Hughes-Hallett seems to excel at it. I will absolutely be adding a physical copy of this book to my library as soon as I can get my hands on it!

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett is an in depth look at a controversial figure that took the stage during the rules of the first two rules post Tudor Era, James I of England and his son Charles I. I was first introduced to George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, when I read the novel "Earthly Joys" by Philippa Gregory as a teen, and since then I've been curious about him. Hughes-Hallett's novel helped satisfy that curiosity.

Many described the Duke as a man with the beauty of angel; even his rivals conceded this fact. Raised from a low born gentry, he climbed the ranks in the household of King James I of England, eventually sharing the royal's bed. (What extent he did truly share the king there is no actual documentation of). Steenie, as James dubbed him, even went on to become the favorite of the King's son, Charles I (perhaps in the exact same capacity of his father as well.) Like a blazing star, Buckingham rose to prominence as an advisor to both Kings and eventually Lord Admiral, commanding fleets to battle. The blazing stars life was cut short after several failed military campaigns when he was assassinated.

The Scapegoat doesn't just cover the shimmering life of Buckingham; it also provides insight into the two royal men he had so much influence with, covering the sad origins of both royals. James I was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded at the order of Elizabeth I whose throne James would go on to inherit. Charles was the second son of James, not truly meant for the throne and often overlooked in favor of his more princely brother, Prince Henry.

This book is definitely worth a read, even with it being a long one. It is a fascinating look into a man who achieved so much in life in such a short amount of time, gathering friends and enemies wherever he went. 4 out of 5 Stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper for the advanced reader copy in an exchange for my honest review.

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Scapegoat" is the biography of the meteoric rise and equally meteoric fall of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. A man of great physical beauty, he was able to use his attractiveness to gain the coveted roles of confidant and lover to King James VI (of Scotland) and I (of England). The courtly influence he gained led to his immense wealth and power in 17th century England. But that influence and power would ultimately disappear through missteps of his own and through the machinations of others who viewed him as a threat.

Author Lucy Hughes-Hallett makes an admirable attempt at transporting the reader into the flamboyant, chaotic, and dangerous times of 17th century England. However, what should be an engrossing topic suffers due, in my humble opinion, to her choppy writing style. The chapters are broken into a minimum of 4 chunks, and each chunk seems to cover a different topic. It was as if she was trying to cram in as much detail as she could, which made it a bit difficult to keep all the various figures straight in my mind. It became a disconnect for me, so much so that I only read the first half and skimmed through the second half.

Even having said that, I will say that I thoroughly agree with her final assessment of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham via his tomb epitaph: he "was all things, yet had nothing"; he was "named his country's father and it's foe"; he was "both the delight and the plaint of Parliament"; he was one "whom kings loved deeply, whom the nobility held in honour, whom the church lamented, whom the multitude loathed"; he was "the riddle of the world".

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins for access to this arc, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine asking the king of France if you can have the Mona Lisa (the real one that's in the Louvre now) and getting snippy when the king says no.

Imagine spending eighty thousand pounds sterling on ONE incredibly sumptuous outfit in the early 1600s; at the time, that would have been enough money to sustain the English navy for four months.

Imagine having your tailor put a pull-away thread in a different outfit of yours so you can literally scatter pearls as you walk through the French royal court, and lots of French royals and nobles fall to their knees before you to pick them up.

Imagine coming from modest means to become King James I's first minister and one of the most powerful and richest men in England—all because you're handsome and tall and "well-made" and a great dancer, and James is madly in love with you.

Imagine getting a little older and King James dies and your enemies think you will lose your wealth and power, but you get more power and wealth than ever because you are besties with the new king, James's son, Charles.

Imagine becoming phenomenally successful and uncontrollably wealthy because you're so handsome and charming and good at compromise, but not because you're high-born or especially smart, and then going to Spain and France and trying everything that worked so well in England . . . and nothing works.

All these things were caused by (or happened to) George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, known to h8ters as the Duke of F uckingham. I can see why this book won so many awards. I am also amused that a 688-page book (about 25 hours of ably narrated audio) has the word "Brief" in the subtitle. I will look for more by this author.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I certainly found this book interesting, especially having the first two or three episodes (I rather lost interest after that) of ‘Mary and George’ in my mind. Hughes-Hallett does allude to the fact that if a family dressed up and paraded a beautiful young daughter in front of a king in order to be made his mistress we would be both disgusted but also accepting of it. There is something disquieting about the fact that George Villiers’ family did this to him, but presumably with a different sort of acquiescence. The suggestion from the ongoing interaction and documentation throughout their lives is that it was a reciprocated love. But how much of that was self-interest on Villiers’ part, a forced performance for the greater good? We’ll never know and never be able to tell, in the same way we can’t say for sure that they were lovers. The same evidence that past historians used to say they were merely close friends it the same evidence we use for carnal knowledge. Only James and George themselves know for sure. And actually, it doesn’t even matter, because emotionally James held George in thrall via his kingship. That’s a bond far less explicable to modern eyes and yet far more powerful.

I was unaware of much of the detail of Villiers’ and indeed James’ exploits, perhaps because it wasn’t a particularly eventful reign and perhaps because the subsequent reign was so eventful as to eclipse it. Certainly Villiers doesn’t cover himself in glory much, except for the acquiring of art. As for Philip of Spain, as for Buckingham:

‘Philip was not unappreciative of art, but he would have been deeply shocked could he have foreseen that he would, four hundred years later, be remembered chiefly for having repeatedly modelled for that other ‘insignificant person’, Diego Velazquez.’

I ended the book thinking rather better of James than I expected:

‘[King James]’ letter was naive, unrealistic and entirely reasonable. He wrote as Jesus might perhaps have done.’

‘By the day’s end some 13,000 of those men lay dead on the battlefield. Such was the pious work His Holiness chose over the peacemaking James proposed.’

Although not that much better.

‘The ‘grass’ or ‘herbs’ are dressed in oil and vinegar – but to a British traveller a green salad did make an adequate dinner for a man.’

Ha.

[Siri Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scapegoat is a new biography of the life of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, and his astronomical career under the early Stuart kings James I and Charles I. No biography has, to my knowledge, been dedicated to Buckingham since Roger Lockyer's seminal work from the 1980's, so as a massive aficionado not only of the early Stuart period, but of Buckingham in particular, I was very excited to note the book's release. That said, if you are someone who, like me, is already familiar with the period and the person, The Scapegoat doesn't cover much new ground. The information is delivered in a well-written and engaging format, but the author rarely ventures beyond mere description to deliver any deeper analysis or interpretation. This is a pity, as so much of Buckingham's life and politics requires deeper analysis of the time period and its wider significance than what The Scapegoat offers. In addition, while the short chapters undoubtedly help to break up a 700-page book into more manageable segments, I often found that the abrupt jumping between subjects, sometimes to the point of jumping back and forth in time, disrupted reading more than it aided. On a positive note, The Scapegoat is the first book I've read which dedicates a lot of time to Buckingham's interest in art collection and curation, highlighting his contributions to the development and expansion of interest in renaissance art in England.

[Zack Whitley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating. This book is a biography, yes, but it’s also a look at the English court in the time of James and Charles. Hughes-Hallet does a wonderful job of describing the world Villiers moved in: the importance of dancing and the positions available to handsome young upwardly mobile men at the court of King James. She speculates on the nature of their relationship - was it sexual (probably at least a little bit) and what the sex might have been like - and she describes the role of the favorite in England and in monarchies across Europe. Buckingham was a great art collector and Hughes-Hallet writes well about it and about where his acquisitions are now. It makes for very interesting reading.

Buckingham comes across as incredibly handsome and well-built and loaded with charm, which was probably natural. He was probably by nature a modest and very likable and popular person. He was a perfect match for the more experienced but not as likable James. However, Buckingham and Charles were probably not a good match: Buckingham didn’t have the craftiness of his rivals in Spain and France (Richelieu and Olivares) and, although hard-working, didn’t have the administrative skill or military background to be a war hero. The last third of the book is less compelling as you read of the failures in France and Spain.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it more for the actual writing than the history. Hughes-Hallett's approach is too idiosyncratic to regard this as anything like definitive, but it does manage to be fun. She sprinkles witty remarks about the major players throughout. As far as I could tell, the author is more bemused by Villiers run as favorite than anything, because if this book is any indication, his only qualification was James I's love. Hughes-Hallett doesn't make Buckingham "gay" in the modern use of the word, as no one in the 17th century thought of it as more than an "act" of some kind. Aside from the King slobbering all over him (James was a notoriously messy kisser), Hughes-Hallett shies away from lifting the curtains more than that. That seems a little weird; no one around at the time had trouble accepting them as an actual couple in most senses of the word. At the same time both men were married to women, and both fathered children.

Buckingham's life comes across as "brilliant" in the same sense as a firework. The years he spent as favorite resulted in a 'brilliant' art collection (now chiefly in Vienna), unbelievably 'brilliant' clothing and jewelry and a lot of fancy homes that were subject to costly renovations. There was no 'brilliance' displayed in the meddling this himbo did in English political life.

Recommended for the writing.

[Nosemonkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked this a lot. The style is decidedly novelistic in places, contemporary and accessible, with short chapters keeping it engaging and punchy throughout - building up a surprisingly broad picture of an era long seen as the starting point of the grievances that would lead to the civil wars.

I studied this period to post-grad level, and there was still much new to me. A very different perspective on Buckingham and the fascinating period, roughly 1616-28, in which he had so much influence.

The picture of Buckingham here is nuanced, empathetic, sometimes sympathetic - all rare in most traditional histories of the period, but seemingly well justified - but not uncritical. His disastrous attempts as a military strategist receive much focus. Yet he comes across as a surprisingly decent man. Which is not at all the impression I was left with from his appearances in the books I read as a student, where he was very much treated as a personification of growing frustrations with the monarchy.

A well-chosen title, and an excellent reappraisal of a man who deserves more attention.

(Note: The Goodreads listing suggests this is 400 pages; in my 1st UK edition it's actually 628, or 680 including notes, bibliography, and index)

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about King James I's favourite, George Villiers. We see his meteoric rise to power. He came from obscurity and lead a semi-charmed kind of life. I saw the tv series that was based on his life. It is a fascinating tale that defies the societal norms of the time. James and George were extremely close and their relationship was an open secret which is quite revolutionary for the time. I didn't know how I was going to get on with this book, as I don't always love non fiction, but I liked it. Now I will say that I liked some parts more than others. The first chapter or about the first 300 pages was gripping and vastly interesting, but then it got a little bit dry. She keeps the chapters very brief so it is very digestible. I just wish she had been more brief on some topics that seemed to span a great length of the book. Still I liked the unconventional characters a lot. I give this one a 4.3/5. I am going to read at least two more books about King James specifically as it was a fascinating time.