George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon (1547- Sept. 9, 1602) was the second cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, and a patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men for Shakespeare.

George Carey was the oldest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan. In 1560, George Carey entered Trinity College, Cambridge and later continued to have a successful military career, fighting in the Northern Rebellion in 1569. Carey was knighted for his bravery by the Earl of Sussex. Later, Carey moved into politics and became a member of Parliament for the county of Hertfordshire (1571) and for the county of Hampshire (1584, 1586, 1589, and 1593). In 1597, he was appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, following in his father’s footsteps. As Lord Chamberlain, he was a patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the theater company of actors for Richard Burbage and William Shakespeare. That same year, George was invested as a Knight of the Garter, a prestigious event that is said to be the first performance of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor and one in which Christopher Marlowe may have also taken part.

Carey, George