Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby (c. 1559 – 16 April 1594) was the son of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby and Lady Margaret Clifford. According to the will of Henry VIII, his mother was heiress presumptive of Elizabeth I of England from 1578 to her own death in 1596. After her death Ferdinando would have become heir to Elizabeth I, but he predeceased his mother by two years and the queen by nine years. His sudden death led to widespread suspicion of poisoning amid fears of Catholic plots to overthrow Elizabeth.
His maternal grandparents were Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland and Lady Eleanor Brandon. Eleanor was the third child of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor. Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York.
His matriculation occurred around 1572 when he was about thirteen years old and then attended the University of Oxford. He was called to Court a year later by the Queen Elizabeth "to be shaped in good manners". He was subsequently summoned to Parliament in his father's Barony of Strange (of Knokyn) and became known as "Ferdinando D'no Straunge". In 1579 he married Alice Spencer, the youngest daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorp and Catherine Kytson.
He was a supporter of the arts, enjoying music, dance, poetry, and singing, but above all he loved the theatre. He was the patron of many writers including Robert Greene, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare may have been employed by Strange in his early years as part of Lord Strange's Men when this troupe of acrobats and tumblers was reorganized in 1592, emphasizing acting. By 1590, Strange's was allied with the Admiral's Men, performing at The Theatre (owned by James Burbage, father of Richard Burbage).
During this period Ferdinando remained circumspect about his true opinions on religion and other matters. The Jesuit writer Robert Parsons expressed frustration, stating that "diverse men" were not satisfied "with the course of this lord hitherto". Parsons hoped that the accession of the Stanleys to the English throne might aid the Catholic cause, but that "the Earl of Derby's religion is held to be doubtful, as some do think him to be of all three religions [Catholic; Episcopal Protestant; Puritan] and others of none." He added that "no side will esteem or trust him" because of this. Nevertheless Elizabeth's chief minister Lord Burghley received several reports that Catholics were attempting to build support for Ferdinando "who might be made king by the Catholics unanimously", as one informant stated.