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 Princess Elizabeth. On his return with Doncaster Nethersole was knighted at Theobalds, Hertfordshire, on 19 Sept. 1619, and was at the same time appointed the English agent to the princes of the Protestant Union, and secretary to the Electress Palatine, in succession to Sir Albertus Morton [q. v.] He thenceforth devoted himself with the utmost chivalry to the interests of the electress. James granted him a pension of 200l. in consideration of his anticipated services to his sister (22 Sept. 1619), and 165l. as English agent to the union (Cal. State Papers, 1619–1623, p. 79). Nethersole did not take up his duties in attendance on the electress until her husband had accepted the crown of Bohemia. Late in the summer of 1620 he travelled to Prague, and practically became English minister at the court there. His despatches to the English government were very full and frequent. He was at first sanguine that the elector would come forth victorious from the struggle, but in August 1620 he was writing to James I that his son-in-law's position was hopeless. In May 1621 the elector sent Nethersole to England to beg for aid in the defence of the Palatinate. He returned with an unfavourable answer (, Lives of the Princesses of England, v. 365). On 24 Sept. 1622, four days after the fall of the elector's capital of Heidelberg, Nethersole landed again in England, and was dismissed a few days later by Buckingham, with an assurance that England would at once intervene in the German war in the elector's behalf. Next year, although still retaining his office as agent to the electress, Nethersole permanently settled in England, in the belief that he might thus influence the English government more effectually in her behalf. He maintained for the next twelve years a voluminous correspondence with the electress.

Some of his leisure Nethersole now devoted to English politics. On 31 Jan. 1623–4 he was elected M.P. for Corfe Castle, Dorset. He was re-elected for the same constituency to the first and third of Charles I's parliaments (in 1625 and 1628 respectively). In the opening days of the latter parliament Nethersole took a prominent part in the debate on the king's claim to imprison persons without showing cause. He argued that cases of disturbance due to the existence of perilous conspiracies had arisen, and might arise again, when the executive government must of necessity be entrusted with the power of arbitrary committal. Early next year Nethersole pointed out to the electress the serious consequences likely to follow the growing divergence between the king and the parliament on questions of religion.

In 1628 Nethersole gave practical proof of his devotion to the electress by selling his own plate, some of which he had received as a gift from the French king, in order to pay her pressing debts (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1627–8, p. 579). In May 1633, in his capacity of agent to the princess, Nethersole sought and obtained permission from Charles I to raise a voluntary contribution or benevolence for the recovery of the Palatinate. He induced two London merchants ‘to advance 31,000l. on the security of the expected contributions, and in reliance upon an engagement which he offered in the name of the wealthy Lord Craven, Elizabeth's most enthusiastic champion’. Before the legal documents authorising the levy of the money were made out, Nethersole's scheme was betrayed to the public. Lord Craven's support proved uncertain, and Nethersole perceived that his chances of success were very small. He angrily charged Lord Goring, a member of the queen's household, with treacherously revealing the plan before it was ripe for execution. The queen took Goring's side in the quarrel. Charles was easily persuaded that Nethersole had misled him in the business. He at first ordered him to keep his house, and then directed him to apologise formally to Goring. Finally he revoked his assent to the benevolence (cf. Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep.; Cowper MSS. ii. 20–4).

In December 1633 Nethersole received from the private secretary of Elizabeth an importunate letter entreating him to secure aid for her in England with the utmost speed. Nethersole forwarded an extract from the letter to the king's secretary, Sir John Coke [q. v.], and appended a message of his own supporting its appeal, in which he suggested that if no help were sent to the princess her son might be justified in attributing his ruin to her kinsfolk's inaction (4 Jan. 1633–4; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1633–4, p. 393). Charles was offended by the remark, and he issued an order for Nethersole's arrest. In order to place his papers in safe custody Nethersole for a few days evaded capture, but he was soon taken and sent to the Tower. He was released at the end of April, but not until Charles had obtained a formal promise from his sister, who had done what she could to defend him, never to employ him in her service again (cf. Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1633–4, p. 496; Cowper MSS. ii. 43–4 in Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep.). His public life was thus brought to a premature close.

Thenceforward Nethersole lived chiefly at Polesworth, Warwickshire, on property which his wife inherited. On 28 March 1636 he