William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetWilliam de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
English Duke
Date of Birth: 16-Oct-1396
Place of Birth: Suffolk, England, United Kingdom
Date of Death: 02-May-1450
Profession: military personnel
Zodiac Sign: Libra 
About William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
- William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, (16 October 1396 – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jackanapes, was an English magnate, statesman, and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
- He became a favourite of the weak king Henry VI of England, and consequently a leading figure in the English government.
- Due to his influence in state policy, Suffolk came to be associated with many of the royal government's failures of the time, particularly on the war in France, earning him significant unpopularity and eventually leading to his downfall.
- He also appears prominently in Shakespeare's Henry VI, parts 1 and 2. His early career was spent in the military, fighting in the Hundred Years' War from a young age.
- Despite missing the Battle of Agincourt due to invalidity, he participated in all subsequent campaigns of Henry V, and after the latter's death, Suffolk continued to serve in France, now for the boy king Henry VI.
- He was one of the English commanders at the failed Siege of Orléans, in the aftermath of which he was taken prisoner (1429).
- Ransomed shortly after, Suffolk began entering the world of politics.
- He favoured a diplomatic rather than military solution to the deteriorating situation in France, a stance which would later resonate well with King Henry VI. Following the end of Henry VI's minority (1437), Suffolk became a favoured royal councilor.
- Gradually building his influence throughout the years, he eventually became the dominant figure in the government, and was at the forefront of the main policies conducted during the period.
- He played a central role in organizing the Treaty of Tours (1444), which established a truce in France and arranged the king's marriage to Margaret of Anjou.
- Suffolk benefited greatly from his favour with Henry VI, accumulating lucrative posts, estates, and titles.
- However, the ultimate failure of his policies, the disastrous renewal of the war in France, and other national problems spelt the destruction of Suffolk's career.
- Many accused him of maladministration and poor conduct of the war, and political pressures forced Suffolk into exile.
- At the sea on his way out, he was caught by an angry mob, subjected to a mock trial, and beheaded. His estates were forfeited to the crown but later restored to his only son, John.
- The de la Pole family was never again to achieve the level of influence Suffolk had enjoyed, however.
- His political successor was instead the Duke of Somerset, whose enmity with various noblemen, combined with the unstable political climate following the final loss in the Hundred Years' War, led to the Wars of the Roses.
Read more at Wikipedia