Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland
A Catholic English earl who risked everything to lead the failed Northern Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I, dying in bitter exile.
1542–1601 (age 59)·English nobleman and peer·Birthday: August 18
Biography
Charles Neville inherited the Earldom of Westmorland as a young man, stepping into a turbulent era defined by the Protestant Reformation. A committed Catholic, his faith and northern power base placed him on a collision course with Elizabeth I's centralizing Protestant rule. In 1569, alongside the Earl of Northumberland, he raised the banner of revolt in the Rising of the North, aiming to restore Catholicism and Mary, Queen of Scots, to the throne. The rebellion collapsed quickly, and Neville, witnessing Northumberland's capture and execution, chose flight over surrender. He spent the remaining three decades of his life as a penniless and plotting exile, first in Scotland and then in the Spanish Netherlands, his titles and vast estates forfeited, becoming a spectral symbol of lost Catholic England.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1542
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1542Born
1547Started school
1555Became a teenager
1558Could drive
1560Could vote
1563Turned 21
1572Turned 30
1582Turned 40
1592Turned 50
1601Died at 59
Key Achievements
- Co-led the 1569 Rising of the North, the most significant armed rebellion against Elizabeth I's religious settlement.
- Was attainted for treason in 1571, leading to the permanent forfeiture of the Neville family's ancient titles and lands.
- Acted as a focal point for Catholic conspiracies and Spanish invasion plans against England from his exile in the Spanish Netherlands.
Did You Know?
He was a direct descendant of the 'Kingmaker' Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, from the Wars of the Roses.
His wife, Jane Howard, remained a prisoner in the Tower of London for years after the failed rebellion.
He died in poverty in Nieuwpoort, in modern-day Belgium, far from the northern English landscapes he tried to defend.
“My loyalty is to my faith and the ancient rights of the north.”
