page_title: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury
section_title: Early years as Earl of Salisbury, 1612–1640
hierarchical_section_title: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury / Early years as Earl of Salisbury, 1612–1640
caption_attribution_description: English: Coat of arms of Sir William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, KG
context_page_description: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC, known as Viscount Cranborne from 1605 to 1612, was an English peer, nobleman, and politician.
context_section_description: Cranborne's father died in 1612, making him the 2nd Earl of Salisbury.  He was soon named Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, where he gained a reputation for punctilious service to the king.  James I made him a Knight of the Garter in 1624.
  Salisbury continued to find favour under James' successor, Charles I, who named Salisbury to his privy council in 1626.  Salisbury subsequently conformed during the Personal Rule.  He was annoyed when he was not named master of the Court of Wards and Liveries, but was more pleased when he was named Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners, a post which he held until 1643.
  Salisbury spent much of the 1630s in improving his ancestral seat, Hatfield House.  He also made Hatfield House a cultural centre, serving as patron for painter Peter Lely, musician Nicholas Lanier, and gardener John Tradescant the elder.
caption: Arms of Sir William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, KG
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