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17 September 2026A king's favourite who amassed a great art collection
15 October 2026The Geology of the Crown Jewels
19 November 2026The Curious history of Christmas Food
28 January 2027More than meets the Eye: artists and camouflage
18 February 2027“Caravaggio: a rebel with a cause”
04 March 2027All The World’s A Stage: From Ancient Greece to the National Theatre- 2500 Years of Theatre In An Hour!

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A king's favourite who amassed a great art collection Lucy Hughes-Hallett Thursday 17 September 2026

George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, was the favourite of King James I - who addressed him as ‘my sweet child and wife’ - and subsequently chief minister to King Charles I. Buckingham was a beauty, and he surrounded himself with beautiful things. He enjoyed exquisite clothes, like the fabulous white silk suit encrusted with diamonds that he wore to visit the Queen of France. He was a superb dancer. When he cut capers during a court masque King James startled visiting ambassadors by shouting out ‘By God, George, I love you!’

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