George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham

George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham (c. 1497-1558) was an aristocrat during the early Tudor dynasty in England. A soldier and magnate, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of Henry VIII.

Brooke was the oldest surviving son of Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham, and Dorothy Haydon. As a teenager, he accompanied his father to the marriage of Henry VIII's sister, Princess Mary, to Louis XII of France. He returned to France during the 1520s, fighting with some distinction around Calais. At home in Kent, he fulfilled his feudal duties, serving as justice of the peace for the county. In 1544, he occupied a high position in the English army that invaded Scotland; later that year, he was appointed commanding officer of English-controlled Calais. Early the following year he became a Knight of the Garter.

Brooke's family were dogged by scandal. His sister, Elizabeth Brooke was married to Thomas Wyatt but lived openly in adultery with another man. She allegedly attracted the attention of Henry VIII in 1542, and the Imperial ambassador thought that if she tried, she could become Henry's sixth wife. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke was also prone to scandal. She lived with William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton from 1543, as he was separated from his adulterous wife, Anne Bourchier. They eventually married during the reign of Edward VI, but this was declared invalid by Mary I. In the reign of Elizabeth I, their marriage was again declared valid.

He resigned his post in 1550 and became a member of the Privy Council of Edward VI. After Edward's death, Brooke supported Dudley's attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne. He was pardoned by Mary, but subsequently fell under suspicion again. His nephew, Thomas Wyatt the younger, led a Protestant rebellion, bringing suspicion on the whole family. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke, is thought to have been the instigator of the plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne instead of Mary. During Wyatt's rebellion, Wyatt besieged and took Cobham in the latter's home, Cooling Castle; Brooke claimed to have resisted, but after the rebellion failed, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for a brief period. The next year, however, he was assigned to entertain Cardinal Pole during the papal legate's visit to England during a formal reconciliation with Rome. The entertainment is recorded as having taken place at Cooling Castle in 1555.

After his release, Brooke limited himself to local affairs in Kent. He died in 1558, closely followed by his wife. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, William.

A drawing of Brooke by Hans Holbein is held by the Royal Collection.