Henry Sidney (1641-1704), Earl of Romney, and Robert Spencer (1641-1702), Second Earl of Sunderland
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This is a repository copy of Henry Sidney (1641-1704), Earl of Romney, and Robert Spencer (1641-1702), Second Earl of Sunderland. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/90082/ Version: Published Version Book Section: Brennan, MG (2015) Henry Sidney (1641-1704), Earl of Romney, and Robert Spencer (1641-1702), Second Earl of Sunderland. In: Hannay, MP, Brennan, MG and Lamb, ME, (eds.) The Ashgate Research Companion to the Sidneys, 1500-1700. Volume 1: Lives. Ashgate Research Companions . Ashgate Publishing Limited , 169 - 176. ISBN 978-1-4094-5038-2 Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. 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[email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ © Copyrighted Material HenrySidney earlofRomneyandRobertSpencer SecondearlofSunderland www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com MichaelgBrennan Henry Sidney and the House of Orange ThecrucialroleofColonelHenrySidneyearlofRomneyfromduringthesin supportingtheclaimsoftheHouseofOrangeandWilliamiiitotheenglishthroneisnow often underestimated and merits reassessment in May Colonel Sidney the fourth survivingandyoungestsonofRobertSidneysecondearlofLeicesterandDorothyPercywww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com SidneyCountessofLeicesterledaninfantryregimentintheBritishexpeditionaryforce toFlandersThesecircumstancesprovidedhimwithanopportunitytobegincultivatinga lastingfriendshipwiththeProtestantWilliamiiiPrinceofOrangethefuture KingWilliamiiiThetimewasripefortheactivefosteringofAngloDutchrelationsbecause onnovemberWilliamhadmarriedPrincessMarydaughterofJamesDukeofyork andtherebybecamealikelycandidatefortheenglishthroneifhisfatherinlawwasexcluded becauseofhisCatholicismHenrySidneyspersonalcontactswiththeprincewerejudgedso promisingthatinJunehewasappointedasenvoyextraordinarytotheStatesgeneral oftheUnitedProvinceswithabrieftomaintainadefensivealliancewiththeDutchagainst FranceSidneyfamilyconnectionsprovedcrucialtothispoliticalappointmentsinceithad beenengineeredlargelythroughtheinuenceoftwocloseassociateshisownnephewand coevalRobertSpencerfromsecondearlofSunderlandandtheprecedingenglish envoy at The Haguewww.ashgate.com Sir William www.ashgate.com Temple www.ashgate.com who was the grandson of Sir Philip Sidneys trusted secretary during the s William Temple and the nephew of Henry HammondformerlyRectorofPenshurst HenrySidneysrelationshipwithWilliamiiiPrinceofOrangeourishedduringthe nexttwodecadesandhebecameavaluableconduitfordiplomaticnegotiationsbetween the english and Dutch The two men often dined and hunted together and Sidney was treatedbytheprinceandhisfamilyasatrustedcondantOnAugustforexample heaccompaniedWilliamonapoignanttriptoviewtheforticationsofZutphenSidney Diary where his greatuncle Sir Philip Sidney had received his mortal wound in SeptemberAnothertypicalreferenceinoneofhisleersdatedDecember recordshowthateveningthePrinceandPrincessofOrangeandPrinceofHanoverdo me the honour to come to my house They shall have music and dancing and the best entertainmenticangivethemDiary www.ashgate.comThislevelofpersonalintimacybetweenHenrySidneyandPrinceWilliamiiiwasalso www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com founded upon a century of mutual respect and friendship between the Sidneys and the © Copyrighted Material © Michael G. Brennan (2015) From Margaret P. Hannay, Michael G. Brennan, and Mary Ellen Lamb (eds), The Ashgate Research Companion to The Sidneys, 1500–1700: Volume 1: Lives, published by Ashgate Publishing. See: http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781409450382 © Copyrighted Material THE ASHGATE RESEARCH COMPANION TO THE SIDNEYS, 1500–1700: VOLUME 1 HouseofOrangeTheprincesgreatgrandfatherWilliamitheSilentPrinceofOrange hadhopedintomarryhisdaughterMarieofnassautoHenrySidneys greatuncleSirPhilipSidneywhoduringtheearlyshadbeenkeentojoinWilliam ismilitaryforcesPhilipsyoungerbrotherRobertSidneyservedasgovernorofFlushing fromuntilandwhenhiseldestsonandheirWilliamwasborninnovember LouisedeColignyPrincessofOrangethefourthandlastwifeofWilliamihadstoodas godmotherforthechristeningFiftyyearslaterHenrySidneysolderbrotherAlgernonsee ScoARCsoughtinlateamilitaryappointmentintheforcesofWilliamiiPrince ofOrangeinadvanceoftheprincesmarriageonMaytoMaryHenrieaStuartthe PrincessRoyalandeldestdaughterofKingCharlesiWhenaddressingtheDutchAssemblywww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com atTheHagueinAugustHenrySidneywasjustiablyproudtorecall iamverygladtobeemployedinaserviceofsogreatimportancetoboth nationsandishallnotfailtocontributeallmyendeavourstowardsitand your Lordships having had so many of my family engaged formerly in employmentsherewillihopetakeitasanearnestofmyowngoodaection totheserviceoftheStateDiary OnJanuaryHenrySidneyalsocrypticallynotedinhisdiarythatMonsieurZulestein wasmarriedDiaryaneventthatprovidedyetanotherSidneyfamilyconnection sinceWilliamFrederickvannassauvanZuylesteinlaterearlofRochfordmarriedJane WrothaMaidofHonourtoMaryPrincessofOrangeandthedaughterof HenryWrothanephewofHenrySidneysauntLadyMaryWrothwww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com FollowingthedeathofKingCharlesiiinFebruaryHenrySidneycrossedonce againtotheLowCountriesinthefollowingnovemberandrenewedhisfriendshipwiththe PrinceofOrangeandhisProtestantwifePrincessMaryBytheyearoftheglorious Revolution when the prince was poised to invade england to support his claim to the throneHenrySidneywasrmlyestablishedashischiefintermediarywithsupportersin englandHewasprominentinthedraftingoftheformalleerthenalversionwasinhis handthatwasdeliveredtoWilliamonJuneinvitinghimtocrossovertoengland gilbertBurnetwhowasthenservingasWilliamspersonalchaplainrecordedthatSidney wasthemaninwhosehandstheconductofthewholedesignwaschieydepositedbythe princesownorderBishop Burnet’s HistoryHelandedwiththeprinceatTorbayon novemberashisseniorcommandingocerintheeldwiththerankofmajorgeneral fortheHouseofOrangeslargelypeacefulclaimingoftheenglishthrone HenrySidneyprosperedduringthereignofKingWilliamiiiandonCoronationDaywww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com AprilwascreatedBaronMiltonandViscountSidneyofSheppeyinhewas appointedasaPrivyCouncillorFirstgentlemanoftheBedchamberandLordLieutenant andViceAdmiralofKentfollowedbytheWardenshipoftheCinquePortsandConstable of Dover Castle along with generous royal grants of extensive lands in ireland Most prominently he occupied the public and symbolic role of one of the kings most experiencedmilitarycommandersechoinghisfamilysproudtraditionofroyalmilitary service stretching back to the distinction achieved by his greatgreatgrandfather Sir WilliamSidneyattheBaleofFloddenDuringsummerheservedduringthe irishcampaignculminatinginhisparticipationattheBaleoftheBoyneandtheSiegeof LimerickinMayhewasnamedduringWilliamiiisabsenceinFlandersasoverall commanderofallfootregimentsandinMarchwasappointedasLordLieutenantof irelandwherehisbrotherPhilipthirdearlofLeicesterhisfatherRobertthesecondearl andhisgreatgrandfatherSirHenrySidneyhadallheldhighoceseeWarkentinwww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com ARC McgowanDoyleARCRecalledtoenglandinhewaschosenasMastergeneral © Copyrighted Material 170 Copyright material: You are not permitted to transmit this file in any format or media; it may not be resold or reused without prior agreement with Ashgate Publishing and may not be placed on any publicly accessible or commercial servers. © Copyrighted Material HENRY SIDNEY, EARL OF ROMNEY, & ROBERT SPENCER, SECOND EARL OF SUNDERLAND oftheOrdnanceakeypostinrelationtobothnationalsecurityandWilliamiiismilitary plansontheContinentinMayhewaspromotedtotherankoflieutenantgeneraland createdrstearlofRomney BynowinhismidftiesHenrySidneyretiredfromactiveeldservicebutremained prominentinmilitaryprocurementandpageantryHetookaleadingroleintheLondon celebrationsfollowingtheenglishtriumphattheSiegeofnamurandthesigning oftheTreatyofRyswickwhichconcludedthenineyearsWarandwhichhadbeen managedbyhisnephewRobertSpencerThisperiodmarkedtheapogeeoftheroyalcourt careersofbothHenrySidneyandRobertSpencerandtheywerenamedtogetheramong theLordJusticestogovernthecountryduringWilliamiiisabsenceinHenrySidneywww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com remainedonintimatepersonaltermswiththekingaccompanyinghimonthreeseparate visits to The Hague between and King William iii died on March on SeptemberofthesameyearRobertSpencerdiedofheartfailureandwassucceededas thirdearlofSunderlandbyCharlesc.hisonlysurvivingsonTheaccessionof QueenAnneeectivelyendedHenrySidneyspubliccareerandhediedofthesmallpoxon April Education, Continental Travel, and Court Careers of Henry Sidney and Robert Spencer HenrySidneysdistinguishedcourtcareerduringthelastquarteroftheseventeenthcenturywww.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com www.ashgate.com ofteninterlinkedwiththatofhisnephewandcoevalRobertSpencerearlofSunderland withwhomhehadgrownupasachildHowevereventhoughSidneyandSpenceras