Who rules the kingdom? The King. Who rules the King? The Duke. Who rules the Duke? The devil. At Portsmouth on 23 August 1628 bonfires were lit in wild celebration at the news that the powerful favorite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, had been stabbed to death. As the news spread throughout the realm, so did the celebrations, but while the country rejoiced, their young monarch, King Charles I, wept his heart out in solitary grief for the person he loved most in the world. Only three years into his reign, Charles would never forgive Parliament for its role in the murder of his martyr and the joyous celebrations drove a permanent rift between the king and his people. It was a brutal and shocking end to the fairytale story of the handsome young man from rural Leicestershire who had risen from obscure beginnings to become the most powerful, most hated and most feared royal favorite in English history.Following the first meeting of King James I and George Villiers in August 1614, George was invited to court and his relationship with James, the nature of which continues to be debated, became a source of contemporary gossip and slander. He maintained a mesmeric hold over James and increased his power over James s successor, Charles I, until many believed that the duke was the real power behind the throne.Through a close look at Buckingham and his most intimate relationships, Pamela Womack sheds fresh light upon the character and influence of a man whose phenomenal good looks, charisma and dominating personality enslaved two king; a man who profoundly impacted English and European history; a man who caused national unrest, revolt and ultimately sowed the seeds of civil war."