George Villiers

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham or Buckingham, was Prime Minister and close friend of King Charles I. In 1626, Buckingham smuggled an English army into France to take Paris. He lost a sword fight to the Fifth Doctor and was exiled from France and forced to return to England. Buckingham was warned that he would be executed if he ever stepped on French soil ever again.

The Doctor later told his companions Peri Brown and Erimem that Buckingham would meet his death at the hands of a Puritan assassin named John Felton in 1628. (AUDIO: The Church and the Crown)

According to another account, Robert Walpole was later the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. (PROSE: Time Wake)

Behind the scenes
In the real world, the post of Prime Minister was not created until 1721, with Robert Walpole. Villiers was a courtier and statesman, though, and a favourite of James I before Charles I came into power.

However, George Villiers' father — also — is the common ancestor of 16 British prime ministers, including William Pitt the Younger, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Arthur Balfour, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Alec Douglas-Home and David Cameron.

Many historians have speculated that George Villiers and King James had an intimate relationship. The Witchfinders later hinted at James I's attraction toward Ryan Sinclair.