Master-servant between Buckingham and Patrick

The Duke of Buckingham, the immensely powerful and charismatic favorite of two kings, relied on a small, fiercely loyal household. Among his servants, none was more trusted or more constantly at his side than his confidential valet, Patrick. Their relationship was one of profound, unquestioning service, where Patrick acted not merely as a servant but as the duke's most intimate gatekeeper, controlling access to his person and privy to his most dangerous secrets.

Role as Gatekeeper and Confidant

Patrick's primary function was to manage the duke's immediate environment and control who could approach him. When d'Artagnan arrived in London on a desperate mission from the queen, he did not seek an audience through normal channels but instead asked for "the confidential valet of the duke." Patrick, who had accompanied Buckingham on all his voyages and spoke French perfectly, was the essential intermediary. D'Artagnan's urgent plea that he must speak with his master instantly was enough to convince Patrick of the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, Patrick ordered two horses to be saddled and personally guided the young Guardsman to Windsor, where the duke was hunting. This act of taking a stranger directly to his master, bypassing all other protocols, demonstrates the immense discretionary power and trust Patrick held. He was the duke's first line of defense and his most reliable conduit to the outside world.

Silent Obedience and Discretion

Patrick's service was characterized by a mute, prompt obedience that mirrored the discipline of the duke's household. When Buckingham, after discovering the theft of two diamond studs, needed his jeweler and secretary summoned, he simply called "Patrick!" and his valet appeared. The text notes that Patrick went out "with a mute promptitude which showed him accustomed to obey blindly and without reply." This silent efficiency was the bedrock of their relationship. Patrick was the executor of the duke's most private and frantic commands, from ordering a nationwide embargo on ships to imprisoning a goldsmith in the palace to replicate the stolen jewels. He was the silent witness to the duke's most desperate intrigues, a role that required absolute discretion.

Witness to the Duke's Final Moments

The ultimate test of their bond came in the final moments of Buckingham's life. After John Felton stabbed the duke, it was Patrick who rushed into the chamber at the duke's cry of "Murder!" and who was present for the duke's last, agonized instructions. As the duke lay dying, he ordered Patrick to bring the casket that had held the queen's diamond studs and the white satin scent bag embroidered with her cipher. These were the most precious tokens of his love for Anne of Austria, and he entrusted them to Patrick to be returned to her. In his final act, the dying duke commanded Patrick to bring these objects, and then, with his last strength, he added the bloody knife that had killed him to the casket, making Patrick the custodian of his final, terrible message to the queen. Patrick's presence at this scene, his role in carrying out the duke's last wishes, and his subsequent cry of "Dead, dead!" that announced the catastrophe to the world, cement his place as the most faithful and intimate servant, the keeper of the duke's final secrets and his legacy of love and violence.