The Earl of Sunderland | |
|---|---|
 Robert Spencer, Second Earl of Sunderland | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire | |
| In office 4 December 1687 – 20 June 1689 | |
| Lord President of the Council | |
| In office 4 December 1685 – October 1688 | |
| Monarch | James II |
| Preceded by | Marquess of Halifax |
| Succeeded by | Marquess of Carmarthen |
| Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire | |
| In office 12 December 1679 – 2 September 1681 | |
| Secretary of State for the Northern Department | |
| In office 10 February 1679 – 26 April 1680 | |
| Monarch | Charles II |
| Preceded by | Sir Joseph Williamson |
| Succeeded by | Sir Leoline Jenkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Spencer 5 September 1641 Paris, Kingdom of France |
| Died | 28 September 1702 (aged 61) Althorp, Northamptonshire |
| Resting place | Brington, Northamptonshire |
| Spouse | |
| Parent(s) | Henry Spencer, 1st Earl of Sunderland Dorothy Sidney |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation | Politician |
Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, KG, PC (5 September 1641 – 28 September 1702) was an English nobleman and politician of the Spencer family. An able and gifted statesman, his caustic temper and belief in absolute monarchy nevertheless made him numerous enemies. He was forced to flee England in 1688, but later established himself with the new regime after the Glorious Revolution of that year. Subsequently, he took on a more disinterested role as an adviser to the Crown, seeking neither office nor favour. He evinced no party loyalty, but was devoted to his country's interests, as he saw them. By the notoriously lax standards of the Restoration Court, his private life was remarkably free from scandal, which won him favour in the more sober post-Revolution state.[1]
- ^ Kenyon p. 8