The Big Picture

• Mary & George depicts the scandalous rise of George Villiers, aided by his mother's cunning manipulation.
• King James I's intimate relationship with George led to immense influence but also sparked bitterness in the English court.
• George's fall from grace, marked by failed expeditions and lavish self-aggrandizement, culminated in his assassination.

Even if the story of Sky’s Mary & George was more fiction than history, it would make for a compelling and shocking story. But with Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine headlining as the mother-son duo of Mary Villiers and George Villiers, Mary & George captures a piece of English history that’s marred by deception and treachery. Based on media journalist Benjamin Wooley’s book The King’s Assassin, the seven-episode Sky series, which will be released in the U.S. on Starz this week, follows the events behind the unprecedented rise of George Villiers in the court and life of the monarch, King James I, on the back of schemes laid out by George’s mother, Mary.

Who Is Mary in 'Mary & George'?

George’s mother, Mary Villiers, was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont of Glenfield and was married to Sir George Villiers, who served as a Member of Parliament until his death in 1604. According to History, George’s father died when George was still a young boy. Mary, however, ensured that George’s potential did not end up going to waste. Despite not being very well off, Mary managed to gather enough money to provide an elite French education to her son, who was to eventually take his position in the upper echelons of the English court. Among the many skills that young George picked up during this time were fencing and dancing, along with picking up the ways of aristocratic etiquette. The assistant curator at the Historic Royal Palaces, Minette Butler, suggested that George was once touted to be “the handsomest-bodied man in all of England.”

Nicknamed as “Steenie” by King James I (via History), George caught the fascination of the reigning English monarch in the year 1614 at Apethorpe Palace in Northamptonshire. In the Sky series, Mary’s role in placing George tactfully in the vicinity of King James I is highlighted, as it’s largely agreed upon that Mary had a pivotal role to play in George’s ascendance among English aristocrats. As per History, Mary’s later marriages to Sir William Rayner and Sir Thomas Compton – both well-established members of society — assisted in Mary’s endeavors toward bringing George on the king’s radar.

George Was the Favorite Among the King's Favorites

King James had multiple relationships with men, although he, himself, deplored sodomy publicly. The king’s associations with male companions, known as “favorites” is now common knowledge. Before George’s arrival, the Earl of Somerset, Robert Carr, was the king’s favorite. But George’s extremely good looks and the training extended by Mary proved greatly helpful in George quickly replacing the Earl of Somerset as the king’s new favorite. A year later, George was knighted by the king in 1615. Over the years, up until the death of King James I in 1625, George continued to rise in stature, titles, and influence under the aegis of his beloved king, who openly expressed his endearment to George, who ultimately went on to become the Duke of Buckingham.

Comparing his relationship with George to that of Christ’s relationship with his disciple John, King James extended a unique position to George that allowed the man to yield immense influence in the English court. As suggested by historian Emma Dabiri in a feature for BBC, King James and George’s strong and intimate relationship, which was also sexual in nature to some extent, can be inferred from the letters exchanged between the two. In one letter, the king said to George that, “I will live and die a lover of you.” In his book, historian David M. Bergeron has claimed that the Duke was James’ last and greatest lover.

King James Helped George Climb the Ladder of British Aristocracy

While the close association with the king allowed George to further his interests and yield great power among the royals, George’s attempts at amassing benefits for his family often through the exploitation of the influence he yielded, became a reason for bitterness from the others in the court (via History). Even before the death of King James in 1625, George had been responsible for a few failed military expeditions, with the most important one being in Spain. When George had accompanied the heir to the throne, Charles I, on their trip to negotiate a marriage with Infanta Maria Anna, daughter of Spain’s Philip III, George developed a close bond with the king’s son as well, according to Historic UK.

After the king’s death, George became a mentor to Charles I. It is suggested that it was George’s attitude that led to the failed negotiations in Spain, and to compensate for his failure, George put out a call for a war against Spain, which did not yield much success, unfortunately. To add to the troubles created by some wrong political decisions, the self-aggrandizing nature of George, who often commissioned expensive portraits of himself, also resulted in him becoming a negative figure in the eyes of the common public.

While George continued to make his moves in the royal court, the countess of Buckingham, Mary Villiers, did not sit back. Even within the limitations put on women by the time period, Mary continued to take steps that helped George amass influence and wealth. This continued to benefit the Villiers family much after the death of the mother and son. As per History, Mary played a crucial role in George’s marriage to Lady Katherine Manners, one of the richest women in England at the time. Despite the resistance from Katherine’s father, the marriage was another step toward elevating the status of George, along with the entire Villiers family. Mary & George focuses on this often less-discussed role played by Mary in cementing George’s stature in aristocratic England.

Mary and George's Tale Did Not End on a Happy Note

Although George’s fall from grace started before King James’ death, the meteoric rise came to a sudden end with his assassination in 1628 at the age of 35. At the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth, George was stabbed to death by John Felton, a soldier who was part of the failed expedition to Spain orchestrated by George. A testament to the ill will that George had acquired over time is reflected in the way Felton was celebrated after George’s death. The Duke of Buckingham was rested in Westminster Abbey, where Mary was buried upon her death four years later.

Mary & George picks a scandalous and controversial chapter from English history to bring to life a shocking true story about an unparalleled rise in power. While the idea of using lust and love to acquire power seems to be a historical idea often relevant even in today’s times, the seven-episode historical drama presents a rare instance of a mother-son duo employing both to amass power and influence through social mobility. Mary & George brings the true story of the two central characters penetrating the well-guarded inner ring of the British aristocracy, which often thrived and prided itself on the exclusive nature of its being.

Mary & George premieres April 5 on Starz in the U.S.

Watch on Starz