 He was Lord Chamberlain of the royal household from 1615 to 1625 and Lord Steward from 1626 to 1630.He was Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1624 when Thomas Tesdale and Richard Wightwick refounded Broadgates Hall and named it Pembroke College in his honour.By some Shakespearian commentators Pembroke has been identified with the "Mr W. H." referred to as ""the onlie begetter"" of Shakespeare's sonnets in the dedication by Thomas Thorpe, the owner of the published manuscript, while his mistress, Mary Fitton, has been identified with the "dark lady" of the sonnets.