Henry Wriothesley
Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, was an English nobleman born in 1573. He is best known for his close association with the playwright William Shakespeare, who dedicated his narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, to him. Wriothesley was a patron of the arts and played a significant role in the cultural life of Elizabethan England.
In addition to his literary connections, Wriothesley was involved in political affairs. He supported the English Civil War and was a prominent figure in the Royalist cause. His life was marked by both artistic patronage and political engagement until his death in 1624.