Katherine Villiers, Duchess of Buckingham

Upon George Villiers’ assassination by the disgruntled soldier John Felton in 1628, influential figures at the University of Cambridge urged his widow, Katherine Villiers (d. 1649), to donate the collection. In 1632, she did, becoming the first woman to give manuscripts to the University Library. Circa 1633 Anthony van Dyck National Library of Wales / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru

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