Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury

Robert Cecil was an English statesman who succeeded his father, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, as Queen Elizabeth I’s chief minister in 1598 and skillfully directed the government during the first nine years of the reign of King James I.

Robert was trained by his father in the craft of statesmanship and had proved to be a genius at it. At 21, he entered the Commons and at 27 was in effect Secretary of State, although without the title until July 1596. From 1601 Cecil secretly advised James I (1566-1625), and because of his advices the succession, upon Elizabeth’s death, passed without incident to James. As a reward Cecil was made Viscount Cranborne in 1604 and Earl of Salisbury in 1605.

At the time of his death Cecil was worth around £110,000, equivalent to 0.44% of the £25m net national income. In 2010's terms that would be over £4.8bn.