Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth
Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth (11 January 1630 – 3 June 1665) was an English nobleman and naval officer who was the son of
He served the exiled Stuart court. His uncle,
In 1664 he married
During the Second Anglo-Dutch War he volunteered for service in the Royal fleet. Charles was killed by a cannonball on 3 June 1665 on board the Royal Charles in one of the first exchanges of the Battle of Lowestoft.
His boisterous character made him not very well-loved by many, but his loyalty to the Royal family favoured his relationship with the King. Clarendon was amazed at the flood of tears the King shed, when he received the news that Berkeley had been killed.[2]
The poet John Denham was less charitable about the demise of the Earl:
His shattered Head the fearless Duke disdains
And gave the last first proof that he had brains
References
- ISBN 1-932690-13-1.
- ^ "Catalogue notes for the portrait of Charles Berkeley". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2011.