William Paulet (c 1474/5-1572)

William Paulet held many offices of trust under Henry VIII, including Sheriff of Hampshire in 1511, a Knight of the Garter in 1543 and the first Marquis of Winchester in 1551. He exerted considerable influence on policy in the latter years of Henry VIII’s reign, and remained a prominent figure in inner court circles during the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I and the initial years of Elizabeth’s reign. In this portrait he is depicted as a Knight of the Garter.