Sir Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1550-1627?), the only son of William, third Earl of Worcester of the Somersets, by Christian, daughter to Edward, first Lord North. The date of his birth has been variously reported. The inquisition taken on his father's death, in 1589 declares him to have been at that time of the age of thirty-six and upwards, meaning, as it may be presumed, that he was then in his thirty-seventh year. but this is contradicted by the statement on his tomb of his age at the time of his death. If we are to rely on the first of those authorities, he was born in 1553. if on the latter, in 1544. He came into public life later than common, owing probably to the unusually protracted term of his father's existence who reached the age of ninety-seven ; but he entered it perfectly accomplished. "In his youth," says Sir Robert Naunton, " part whereof he spent before he came to reside at Court he was a very fine gentleman, and the best horseman and tilter of the times." Elizabeth, who never undervalued such qualifications, had however been prepossessed in his favour by one of her strongest affections he was of her consanguinity, for his aucestor Edmund Beaufort, second Duke of Somerset, was brother to the maternal grandfather of Henry the Seventh. On the other hand, his religious faith exposed him to contrary prejudices, for he was a steady Roman Catholic. "Although," again says Naunton', "there might appear something in his House which might avert her grace (though not to speak of my Lord himself but with due reverence and honour) 1 mean contrariety, or suspicion, in religion, yet the Queen ever respected this House, and principally this noble Lord." and Lloyd, with an agreeable quaintness, tells us that, "his mistress excused his faith, which was Popish, and honoured his faithfulness, which was Roman;" and adds that "it was her usual speech that my Lord of Worcester had reconciled what she thought inconsistent, a stiff Papist to a good subject." She called him to her Privy Council; sent him in 1591 Ambassador to Scotland, to congratulate the King on his marriage with Anne of Denmark; and in 1601 appointed him Master of the Horse.

Depicted here is an outstanding english portrait wearing a costume dress of either tudor elizabethan or renaissance era.