Henry Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, was a Tudor noble and a poet. He was the son of Southampton and Elizabeth Wriothesley. His mother, Elizabeth Wriothesley, was a daughter of Sir Anthony Knyvet, who was the nephew of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset.
In 1603 Southampton married Lady Katherine Manners, daughter of John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland and his first wife Anne Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick and Anne Beauchamp. They had three children: Henry Wriothesley (1604–1643), Edward Wriothesley (1607–1630) and John Manners (1609–1643).
Wickham was an accomplished poet as well as a diplomat and courtier
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He is best remembered as the dedicatee of Edmund Waller's poem "To his Sacred Majesty King James". He also wrote poetry on political subjects such as "The Recluse", which was written to celebrate the Peace of Opole and published in 1606.
Wickham served as an envoy to France in 1607 and 1608-9. In that capacity he issued the first English translation, though with some modifications, of Henri de Brie's "Nouvelle Histoire de la France".
He was also sent to Denmark to arrange for the union with Sweden (of which he was knighted by King Christian II on 28 August 1613). On 14 July 1618 he succeeded Sir Robert Naunton as ambassador at the court of James I; he held this post until 15 March 1620 when he returned to London owing to financial difficulties.
He died in May 1626 at age 44.
