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Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset

Type Figure Region England Time c. 1586–1645 Also known as Robert Carr、Earl of Somerset、Viscount Rochester

Robert Carr (c. 1586–1645) was one of James I's earliest and most favored courtiers, brought from Scotland to England, rising rapidly after 1607, cre…

Timeline

  1. 1603–1607London · EnglandHe entered England in 1603 with James VI and I, serving as an attendant at court, drawing the king's attention after a riding accident and gradually entering the inner circle.
  2. 1607–1615Westminster · LondonAfter 1607 he became the king's most favored, created Viscount Rochester in 1611 and Earl of Somerset in 1613, joining the Privy Council. Between 1611 and 1614 he directed parts of diplomacy and patronage, married into the Howard family, and later triggered a political earthquake with the Thomas Overbury case.
  3. 1615–1645Tower of London · LondonTried in 1615–1616 for the murder of Overbury and other charges, he pleaded guilty; though spared execution he was stripped of real power and long confined, marking the first major crisis of favorite politics under James.

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