Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh
Encyclopedia
Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh (née
Villiers; 1583 – 1652) was an English
courtier
. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber
to Queen Henrietta Maria
.
Born Susan Villiers, she was the youngest daughter of Sir George Villiers
and his wife, Mary Beaumont
. About 1607, she married Sir William Feilding
, who was later created Earl of Denbigh
. They had five children:
During the English Civil War
, her husband, the Earl of Denbigh, supported and fought for King Charles I of England
, while her son, Basil, joined the Parliamentarian forces. The Earl was wounded during an attack on Birmingham and died of his injuries in 1643. The next year Susan fled to France with Queen Henrietta Marie
. It was in France that Susan converted to Roman Catholicism
and in 1651 the council of state
ordered the sequestration of all her property in England on the grounds that she had become Papist
and was active in designs against the state. She was the patron of Richard Crashaw
, who dedicated his sacred poems to her, in hearty acknowledgment of his immortal obligation to her goodness and charity, and addressed to her a poem persuading her — to render herself without further delay into the communion of the Catholic Church. The Countess died while in France, in 1652, and was buried in Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Villiers; 1583 – 1652) was an English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
. She was a Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
to Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
.
Born Susan Villiers, she was the youngest daughter of Sir George Villiers
George Villiers (of Brokesby)
Sir George Villiers, of Brokesby was a minor member of the English gentry, notable as the father of the royal favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham...
and his wife, Mary Beaumont
Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham
Mary Villers, Countess of Buckingham is perhaps best known as the mother of the royal favourite Sir George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. She was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield, Leicestershire, a direct descendant of Henry de Beaumont.She became the second wife of Sir George...
. About 1607, she married Sir William Feilding
William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh
William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh was an English naval officer and courtier.William Feilding was the son of Basil Fielding of Newnham Paddox in Warwickshire, , and of Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Walter Aston and his wife, Elizabeth Leveson.The descent of the Feildings from the house of Habsburg,...
, who was later created Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh
Earl of Denbigh is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for the courtier and soldier William Feilding, 1st Viscount Feilding. He was Master of the Great Wardrobe under King James I and also took part in the Expedition to Cádiz of 1625...
. They had five children:
- Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of DenbighBasil Feilding, 2nd Earl of DenbighBasil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh was the eldest son of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh.Like his father, the son was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was summoned to the House of Lords as Baron Feilding in March 1629...
(ca. 1608-1675) - George Feilding, 1st Earl of DesmondGeorge Feilding, 1st Earl of DesmondGeorge Feilding, 1st Earl of Desmond was an Irish peer and the second son of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh.Lord Desmond married Bridget Stanhope, daughter of Sir Michael Stanhope, with whom he had one child:...
(ca. 1614-1665) - Lady Margaret (1613-1638), married James Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonGeneral Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
. - Lady Anne (died 1636), married Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount CampdenBaptist Noel, 3rd Viscount CampdenSir Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden was an English politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Custos Rotulorum of Rutland and the Member of Parliament for Rutland....
- Lady Elizabeth, Countess of GuildfordElizabeth Boyle, Countess of GuilfordElizabeth Boyle, Countess of Guilford was an English peeress. She was created 1st Countess of Guildford for life at the Restoration on 14 July 1660, which became extinct upon her death c. 3 September 1667...
(died 1667), married Lewis Boyle, 1st Viscount Boyle.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, her husband, the Earl of Denbigh, supported and fought for King Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, while her son, Basil, joined the Parliamentarian forces. The Earl was wounded during an attack on Birmingham and died of his injuries in 1643. The next year Susan fled to France with Queen Henrietta Marie
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
. It was in France that Susan converted to Roman Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and in 1651 the council of state
English Council of State
The English Council of State, later also known as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 after the execution of King Charles I....
ordered the sequestration of all her property in England on the grounds that she had become Papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
and was active in designs against the state. She was the patron of Richard Crashaw
Richard Crashaw
Richard Crashaw , English poet, styled "the divine," was part of the Seventeenth-century Metaphysical School of poets.-Life:...
, who dedicated his sacred poems to her, in hearty acknowledgment of his immortal obligation to her goodness and charity, and addressed to her a poem persuading her — to render herself without further delay into the communion of the Catholic Church. The Countess died while in France, in 1652, and was buried in Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
L’église Saint-Eustache is a church in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, built between 1532 and 1632.Situated at the entrance to Paris’s ancient markets and the beginning of rue Montorgueil, the Église de Saint-Eustache is considered a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture...
.