Background
He was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Reading, in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey.
He was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Reading, in Berkshire, and his wife, Catherine Carey.
In 1584 he was made castellan of Wallingford Castle. In 1596 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, a position he held until his death. William rebuilt Caversham Park where he often resided.
He expressed desire for children with her, and when made godfather to Mary sister"s daughter (Anne Newdigate) he named that child Mary.
His infatuation with his ward was the cause of much court laughter:
Party Beard, party beard..the white hind was crossed:
Brave Pembroke struck her down
And took her from the clown
went one song about him.
He was derided as "Party Beard" because his beard was three colours: white at the roots, yellow mid-way and black at the ends. Mary refused him. In 1603 he was created 1st Baron Knollys.
On 23 December 1605, Knollys married Lady Elizabeth Howard (1586–1658), the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk.
In 1616 he was created 1st Viscount Wallingford and in 1626 1st Earl of Banbury. Elizabeth remarried shortly after Knollys" death to Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden. As a result, the House of Lords refused to seat them as Earls of Banbury and considered them to be illegitimate sons of Elizabeth and Edward Vaux.
Knollys was a member of parliament (Member of Parliament) for Stafford in 1571, Tregony from 1572-1581 and 1583-1584 and for Oxfordshire from 1584–1586, 1592–1593 and 1601.