Lieutenant-General George FitzRoy, Duke of Northumberland,
KG,
PC (28December 166528June 1716) was the third and youngest
illegitimate son of King
Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest su ...
('Charles the Black') by
Barbara Villiers, Countess of
Castlemaine (also known as Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland); he was the fifth of Charles's eight illegitimate sons. On 1 October 1674, he was created
Earl of Northumberland,
Baron of Pontefract (
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
) and
Viscount Falmouth (
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
). On 6 April 1683, he was created
Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...
. He was described as "a most worthy man", and as "...a tall, Black-Man, like his father, the King." The same John Macky files described his half-sibling, Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond as Black complexion, also like his father, King Charles II.
The first Duke of Northumberland was born at
Merton College,
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
. In 1682, he was employed on secret service in
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
. Upon his return to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1684, he was elected (10 January) and installed (8 April)
Knight of the Garter. That summer, he served as a volunteer on the side of the
French at the
Siege of Luxembourg. In 1687, Northumberland commanded the
2nd Troop of Horse Guards. A year later, he was appointed a lord of His Majesty's bedchamber. In 1701, he was appointed
Constable of Windsor Castle, in 1710
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, and in 1712, he became
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire.
Lord-Lieutenants of Berkshire
*Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk 1545–22 August 1545
*Edw ...
as well. In 1703, he succeeded the
Earl of Oxford as
Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
of the
Royal Regiment of Horse. Seven years later, on 10 January 1710, he became
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
. On 7 April 1713, he was sworn into the
Privy Council and as
Chief Butler of England.
In March 1686, Northumberland married Catherine Wheatley, the daughter of a
poulterer, Robert Wheatley of
Bracknell in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
. Catherine was the widow of Thomas Lucy of
Charlecote Park, a
captain in the
Royal Horse Guards. Her sister married the
Earl of Dumbarton. Soon after the marriage, Northumberland and his brother,
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, allegedly attempted to privately convey her abroad to an English
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
in
Ghent
Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. After Catherine's death in 1714, Northumberland married Mary Dutton, the sister of Cpt. Mark Dutton.
The Duke lived at
Frogmore House at
Windsor in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
, but died suddenly aged 50 at
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
on 28 June 1716. He had no legitimate offspring. His wife Mary FitzRoy, Duchess of Northumberland died at Frogmore House in 1738.
Arms
Ancestry
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Northumberland, George Fitzroy, Duke Of
1665 births
1716 deaths
Military personnel from Oxfordshire
17th-century English nobility
18th-century English people
British Army lieutenant generals
British Life Guards officers
201
George
Illegitimate children of Charles II of England
Knights of the Garter
Lord-lieutenants of Berkshire
Lord-lieutenants of Surrey
Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain
Military personnel from Windsor, Berkshire
Royal Horse Guards officers
Peers of England created by Charles II
Younger sons of dukes
Sons of kings