James I of England

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James VI of Scotland from the period 15871613, By Pa l s !an Somer "157616#1$ King of Scots (more!!!) Reign "# July $%&' ( "' )arch $&"% (%' years, "#& days) Coronation "* July $%&' Predecessor )ary, +ueen of ,cots Successor -harles I Regent James ,te.art, Earl of )oray )atthe. ,te.art, Earl of /enno0 John Erskine, Earl of )ar James 1ouglas, Earl of )orton King of England and Ireland (more!!!) Reign "# )arch $&23 ( "' )arch $&"% ("" years, 3 days) Coronation "% July $&23 Predecessor Eli4a5eth I Successor -harles I Consort 6nne of 1enmark
among others...

Issue

7enry Frederick, 8rince of Wales Eli4a5eth, +ueen of 9ohemia -harles I of England Ro5ert ,tuart, 1uke of Kintyre House 7ouse of ,tuart Father 7enry ,tuart, /ord 1arnley Mother )ary, +ueen of ,cots Born $* June $%&& Edin5urgh -astle, ,cotland Died "' )arch $&"% (aged %:) ;heo5alds 7ouse, England

James VI I ($* June $%&& ( "' )arch $&"%) .as King of ,cots as James VI from $%&' to $&"%, and King of England and Ireland as James I from $&23 to $&"%! 7e 5ecame King of ,cots as James <I on "# July $%&', .hen he .as =ust thirteen months old, succeeding his mother )ary, +ueen of ,cots! Regents go erned during his minority, .hich ended officially in $%':, though he did not gain full control of his go ernment until $%:$!>$? @n "# )arch $&23, as James I, he succeeded the last ;udor monarch of England and Ireland, Eli4a5eth I, .ho died .ithout issue!>"? 7e then ruled the Kingdom of England, ,cotland, and Ireland for "" years, often using the title King of Areat 9ritain, until his death at the age of %:!>3? Bnder James, the CAolden 6geC of Eli4a5ethan literature and drama continued, .ith .riters such as William ,hakespeare, John 1onne, 9en Jonson, and ,ir Francis 9acon contri5uting to a flourishing literary culture!>#? James himself .as a talented scholar, the author of .orks such as %aemonolo&ie ($%*'),>%? 'r e (a) of *ree +onarchies ($%*:),>&? and Basili,on %oron ($%**)!>'? ,ir 6nthony Weldon claimed that James had 5een termed Cthe .isest fool in -hristendomC, an epithet associated .ith his character e er since!>:?

Contents
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$ -hildhood o $!$ 9irth o $!" Regencies " 8ersonal rule in ,cotland o "!$ )arriage o "!" ;heory of monarchy 3 English throne o 3!$ 8roclaimed King of England # Early reign in England o #!$ Aunpo.der plot % King and 8arliament o %!$ ,panish match & Religious pro5lems

' 8ersonal relationships : ;he @ er5ury 6ffair * Final year $2 /egacy $$ ;itles, styles, honours and arms o $$!$ ;itles and styles $" /ist of .ritings $3 -hildren $# 6ncestry $% ,ee also $& Dotes $' DonEcited references $: Further reading $* E0ternal links o $*!$ 9ooks a5out James I a aila5le online
o

$*!" @ther links

!edit" Childhood
!edit" Birth
James -harles ,tuart .as the son of )ary, +ueen of ,cots, and her second hus5and, 7enry ,tuart, /ord 1arnley! James .as a descendant of 7enry <II of England through his greatEgrandmother )argaret ;udor, older sister of 7enry <III! )aryFs rule o er ,cotland .as insecure, for 5oth she and her hus5and, 5eing Roman -atholics, faced a re5ellion 5y the 8rotestant population! /ord 1arnley secretly allied himself .ith the re5els and murdered the +ueenFs pri ate secretary, 1a id Ri44io, =ust three months 5efore James .as 5orn!>*? James .as 5orn on $* June $%&& at Edin5urgh -astle, and as the eldest son of the monarch and heirEapparent, automatically 5ecame 1uke of Rothesay and 8rince and Areat ,te.ard of ,cotland! 7e .as 5aptised on $' 1ecem5er $%&&, according to -atholic rites, in a ceremony held at ,tirling -astle! 7is godparents .ere -harles IG of France (represented 5y John, -ount of 9rienne), Eli4a5eth I of England (represented 5y JamesHs aunt, Jean, -ountess of 6rgyll), and Emmanuel 8hili5ert, 1uke of ,a oy (represented 5y 8hili5ert du -roc, the French am5assador)! )ary refused to let the 6rch5ishop of ,t 6ndre.s, .ho she referred to as Ca pocky priestC, spit in the childFs mouth, as .as then the custom!>$2? JamesFs father, 7enry, .as murdered on $2 Fe5ruary $%&' at the 7amiltonsF house, Kirk oF Field, Edin5urgh, perhaps in re enge for Ri44ioFs death! Bpon his fatherFs death, James 5ecame 1uke of 6l5any and Earl of Ross! )ary .as already an unpopular Iueen, and her marriage on $% )ay $%&' to James 7ep5urn, #th Earl of 9oth.ell, .ho .as .idely suspected of murdering 7enry, heightened .idespread 5ad feeling to.ards her!>$$? In June

$%&', 8rotestant re5els arrested )ary and imprisoned her in /och /e en -astleJ she ne er sa. her son again! ,he .as forced to a5dicate on "# July in fa our of the infant James and to appoint her illegitimate halfE5rother, James ,te.art, Earl of )oray, as regent!>$"?

!edit" Regencies
;he care of James .as entrusted to the Earl and -ountess of )ar, Cto 5e conser ed, nursed, and up5roughtC>$3? in the security of ,tirling -astle!>$#? ;he 5oy .as formally cro.ned at the age of thirteen months as King James <I of ,cotland at the -hurch of the 7oly Rude, ,tirling, on "* July $%&'!>$%? ;he sermon .as preached 5y the -al inist John Kno0! 6nd, in accordance .ith the religious 5eliefs of most of the ,cottish ruling class, James .as 5rought up as a mem5er of the 8rotestant national -hurch of ,cotland, his education super ised 5y historian and poet Aeorge 9uchanan, .ho su5=ected him to regular 5eatings 5ut also instilled in him a lifelong passion for literature and learning!>$&? In $%&: )ary escaped from prison, leading to a 5rief period of iolence! ;he Earl of )oray defeated )aryFs troops at the 9attle of /angside, forcing her to flee to England, .here she .as su5seIuently imprisoned 5y Eli4a5eth! @n "" January $%'2, )oray .as assassinated 5y James 7amilton of 9oth.ellhaugh, to 5e succeeded as regent 5y JamesFs paternal grandfather, )atthe. ,te.art, #th Earl of /enno0, .ho a year later .as carried fatally .ounded into ,tirling -astle after a raid 5y )aryFs supporters!>$'? ;he ne0t regent, John Erskine, $st Earl of )ar, died soon after 5anIueting at the estate of James 1ouglas, #th Earl of )orton, .here he Ctook a ehement sicknessC, dying on ": @cto5er $%'" at ,tirling! )orton, .ho no. took )arFs office, pro ed in many .ays the most effecti e of JamesFs regents,>$:? 5ut he made enemies 5y his rapacity!>$*? 7e fell from fa our .hen the Frenchman EsmK ,te.art, ,ieur dF6u5igny, first cousin of JamesFs father /ord 1arnley, and future Earl of /enno0, arri ed in ,cotland and Iuickly esta5lished himself as the first of JamesFs po.erful male fa ourites!>"2? )orton .as e0ecuted on " June $%:$, 5elatedly charged .ith complicity in /ord 1arnleyFs murder!>"$? @n : 6ugust, James made /enno0 the only duke in ,cotland!>""? ;hen si0teen years old, the king .as to remain under the influence of /enno0 for a5out one more year!>"3?

!edit" Personal rule in Scotland

James in $%:&, age "2 6lthough a 8rotestant con ert, /enno0 .as distrusted 5y ,cottish -al inists, .ho noticed the physical displays of affection 5et.een fa ourite and king and alleged that /enno0 C.ent a5out to dra. the King to carnal lustC!>$*? In 6ugust $%:", in .hat 5ecame kno.n as the Ruth en Raid, the 8rotestant earls of Ao.rie and 6ngus lured James into Ruth en -astle, imprisoned him,>"#? and forced /enno0 to lea e ,cotland! 6fter James .as freed in June $%:3, he assumed increasing control of his kingdom! 7e pushed through the 9lack 6cts to assert royal authority o er the Kirk and 5et.een $%:# and $&23 esta5lished effecti e royal go ernment and relati e peace among the lords, a5ly assisted 5y John )aitland of ;hirlestane, .ho led the go ernment until $%*"!>"%? @ne last ,cottish attempt against the kingFs person occurred in 6ugust $&22, .hen James .as apparently assaulted 5y 6le0ander Ruth en, the Earl of Ao.rieFs younger 5rother, at Ao.rie 7ouse, the seat of the Ruth ens!>"&? ,ince Ruth en .as run through 5y JamesFs page John Ramsay and the Earl of Ao.rie .as himself killed in the ensuing fracas, JamesFs account of the circumstances, gi en the lack of .itnesses and his history .ith the Ruth ens, .as not uni ersally 5elie ed!>"'? In $%:&, James signed the ;reaty of 9er.ick .ith England! ;hat and the e0ecution of his mother in $%:', .hich he denounced as a Cpreposterous and strange procedureC, helped clear the .ay for his succession south of the 5order!>":? 1uring the ,panish 6rmada crisis of $%::, he assured Eli4a5eth of his support as Cyour natural son and compatriot of your countryC,>"*? and as time passed and Eli4a5eth remained unmarried, securing the English succession 5ecame a cornerstone of JamesFs policy!

!edit" Marriage
)ain article: 6nne of 1enmark

6nne of 1enmark, 5y John de -rit4, c! $&2%! ;hroughout his youth, James .as praised for his chastity, since he sho.ed little interest in .omenJ after the loss of /enno0, he continued to prefer male company!>32? 6 suita5le marriage, ho.e er, .as necessary to reinforce his monarchy, and the choice fell on the fourteenEyearEold 6nne of 1enmark (5orn 1ecem5er $%'#), younger daughter of the 8rotestant Frederick II! ,hortly after a pro0y marriage in 6ugust $%:*, 6nne sailed for ,cotland 5ut .as forced 5y storms to the coast of Dor.ay! @n hearing the crossing had 5een a5andoned, James, in .hat Willson calls Cthe one romantic episode of his lifeC,>3$? sailed from /eith .ith a threeEhundredEstrong retinue to fetch 6nne personally!>3"? ;he couple .ere married formally at the @ld 9ishopFs 8alace in @slo on "3 Do em5er and, after stays at Elsinore and -openhagen, returned to ,cotland in )ay $%*2! 9y all accounts, James .as at first infatuated .ith 6nne, and in the early years of their marriage seems al.ays to ha e sho.ed her patience and affection!>33? 9ut 5et.een $%*3 and $%*%, James .as romantically linked .ith 6nne )urray, later /ady Alamis, .hom he addressed in erse as Cmy mistress and my lo eC! ;he royal couple produced three sur i ing children: 7enry Frederick, 8rince of Wales, .ho died of e0haustion, after playing a game of Creal tennisC ha ing not fully reco ered from pneumonia, in $&$", aged $:J Eli4a5eth, later +ueen of 9ohemiaJ and -harles, the future King -harles I of England! 6nne died 5efore her hus5and in )arch $&$*!

!edit" #heor$ of monarch$

In $%*'(*:, James .rote t.o .orks, 'he 'r e (a) of *ree +onarchies and Basili,on %oron (-oyal .ift), in .hich he esta5lished an ideological 5ase for monarchy! In the 're) (a), he sets out the di ine right of kings, e0plaining that for 9i5lical reasons kings are higher 5eings than other men, though Cthe highest 5ench is the sliddriest to sit uponC! >3#? ;he document proposes an a5solutist theory of monarchy, 5y .hich a king may impose ne. la.s 5y royal prerogati e 5ut must also pay heed to tradition and to Aod, .ho .ould Cstirre up such scourges as pleaseth him, for punishment of .icked kingsC!>3%?

Basili,on %oron, .ritten as a 5ook of instruction for the fourEyearEold 8rince 7enry, pro ides a more practical guide to kingship!>3&? 1espite 5analities and sanctimonious ad ice,>3'? the .ork is .ell .ritten, perhaps the 5est e0ample of JamesFs prose!>3:? JamesFs ad ice concerning parliaments, .hich he understood as merely the kingFs Chead courtC, foreshado.s his difficulties .ith the English -ommons: C7old no 8arliaments,C he tells 7enry, C5ut for the necesitie of ne. /a.es, .hich .ould 5e 5ut seldomeC!>3*? In the 're) (a) James maintains that the king o.ns his realm as a feudal lord o.ns his fief, 5ecause kings arose C5efore any estates or ranks of men, 5efore any parliaments .ere holden, or la.s made, and 5y them .as the land distri5uted, .hich at first .as .holly theirs! 6nd so it follo.s of necessity that kings .ere the authors and makers of the la.s, and not the la.s of the kings!C>#2?

!edit" English throne

!edit" Proclaimed King of England
)ain article: Bnion of the -ro.ns
Scottish and English Ro$alt$

House of Stuart

James VI

7enry, 8rince of Wales Eli4a5eth, +ueen of 9ohemia -harles I Ro5ert, 1uke of Kintyre

From $&2$, in the last years of Eli4a5eth IFs life, certain English politicians, nota5ly her chief minister ,ir Ro5ert -ecil,>#$? maintained a secret correspondence .ith James in order to prepare in ad ance for a smooth succession! In )arch $&23, .ith the +ueen clearly dying, -ecil sent James a draft proclamation of his accession to the English throne! Eli4a5eth died in the early hours of "# )arch, and James .as proclaimed king in /ondon later the same day!>#"? 6s James headed south on 6pril 3 .ith his courtiers and ad isors, his ne. su5=ects flocked to see him, relie ed that the succession had triggered neither unrest nor in asion!>#3? When he entered /ondon on )ay ' he .as mo55ed!>##? 7e then stayed for se eral nights at the ;o.er of /ondon! 7is English coronation took place on "% July, .ith ela5orate allegories pro ided 5y dramatic poets such as ;homas 1ekker and 9en Jonson, though an out5reak of the plague restricted festi ities!>#%?

!edit" Earl$ reign in England

8ortrait of James 5y Dicholas 7illiard, from the period $&23(2* 1espite the smoothness of the succession and the .armth of his .elcome, there .ere t.o unsuccessful conspiracies in the first year of his reign, the 9ye 8lot and )ain 8lot, .hich led to the arrest, among others, of /ord -o5ham and ,ir Walter Raleigh!>#&? ;hose hoping for go ernmental change from James .ere at first disappointed .hen he maintained Eli4a5ethFs 8ri y -ouncillors in office, as secretly planned .ith -ecil,>#&? 5ut James shortly added longEtime supporter 7enry 7o.ard and his nephe. ;homas 7o.ard to the 8ri y -ouncil, as .ell as fi e ,cottish no5les!>#'? In the early years of JamesFs reign, the dayEtoEday running of the go ernment .as tightly managed 5y the shre.d Ro5ert -ecil, later Earl of ,alis5ury, a5ly assisted 5y the e0perienced ;homas Egerton, .hom James made 9aron Ellesmere and /ord -hancellor, and 5y ;homas ,ack ille, soon Earl of 1orset, .ho continued as /ord ;reasurer!>#&? 6s a conseIuence, James .as free to concentrate on 5igger policy issues, such as a scheme for a closer union 5et.een England and ,cotland and matters of foreign policy, as .ell as to en=oy his leisure pursuits, particularly hunting!>#&? James .as am5itious to 5uild on the personal union of the cro.ns of ,cotland and England to esta5lish a permanent Bnion of the -ro.ns under one monarch, one parliament and one la., a plan .hich met opposition in 5oth countries!>#:? C7ath 7e not made us all in one island,C James told the English parliament, Ccompassed .ith one sea and of itself 5y nature indi isi5leLC In 6pril $&2#, ho.e er, the -ommons refused on legal grounds his reIuest to 5e titled CKing of Areat 9ritainC!>#*? In @cto5er $&2# he assumed the title CKing of Areat 9ritainC 5y proclamation rather than statute, though ,ir Francis 9acon told him he could not use the style in Cany legal proceeding, instrument or assuranceC!>%2? In foreign policy, James achie ed more success! De er ha ing 5een at .ar .ith ,pain, he de oted his efforts to 5ringing the long 6nglo(,panish War to an end, and in 6ugust $&2#, thanks to skilled diplomacy on the part of Ro5ert -ecil and 7enry 7o.ard, no. Earl of Dorthampton, a peace treaty .as signed 5et.een the t.o countries, .hich James cele5rated 5y hosting a great 5anIuet!>%$? Freedom of .orship for -atholics in England continued, ho.e er, to 5e a ma=or o5=ecti e of ,panish policy, causing constant

dilemmas for James, distrusted a5road for repression of -atholics .hile at home 5eing encouraged 5y the 8ri y -ouncil to sho. e en less tolerance to.ards them!>%"?

;he $&$3 letter of King James I remitted to ;okuga.a Ieyasu (8reser ed in the ;okyo Bni ersity archi es)! Bnder King James I, e0pansion of English international trade and influence .as acti ely pursued through the East India -ompany! 6n English settlement .as already esta5lished in 9antam, Indonesia, and in $&$3, follo.ing an in itation 5y the English ad enturer William 6dams in Japan, the English captain John ,aris arri ed at 7irado in the ship /lo!e .ith the intent of esta5lishing a trading factory! 6dams and ,aris tra elled to ,hi4uoka .here they met .ith ;okuga.a Ieyasu at his principal residence in ,eptem5er 5efore mo ing on to Edo .here they met IeyasuFs son 7idetada! 1uring that meeting, 7idetada ga e ,aris t.o arnished suits of armor for King James I, today housed in the ;o.er of /ondon!>%3? @n their .ay 5ack, they isited ;okuga.a once more, .ho conferred trading pri ileges on the English through a Red ,eal permit gi ing them Cfree license to a5ide, 5uy, sell and 5arterC in Japan!>%#? ;he English party headed 5ack to 7irado on @cto5er *, $&$3! 7o.e er, during the tenEyear acti ity of the company 5et.een $&$3 and $&"3, apart from the first ship (the -lo e in $&$3), only three other English ships 5rought cargoes directly from /ondon to Japan!

!edit" %un&o'der &lot

)ain article: Aunpo.der 8lot @n the e e of the state opening of the second session of JamesFs first 8arliament, on % Do em5er $&2%, a soldier named Auy Fa.kes .as disco ered in the cellars of the parliament 5uildings guarding a pile of .ood, not far from 3& 5arrels of gunpo.der .ith .hich he intended to 5lo. up 8arliament 7ouse the follo.ing day and cause the destruction, as James put it, Cnot only!!!of my person, nor of my .ife and posterity also, 5ut of the .hole 5ody of the ,tate in generalC!>%%? ;he sensational disco ery of the -atholic Aunpo.der 8lot, as it Iuickly 5ecame kno.n, aroused a mood of national relief at the deli ery of the king and his sons .hich ,alis5ury e0ploited to e0tract higher su5sidies from the ensuing 8arliament than any 5ut one granted to Eli4a5eth!>%&?

!edit" King and Parliament

)ain article: James I of England and the English 8arliament ;he moment of coEoperation 5et.een monarch and 8arliament follo.ing the Aunpo.der plot represented a de iation from the norm! Instead, it .as the pre ious session of $&2# that shaped the attitudes of 5oth sides for the rest of the reign, though the initial difficulties o.ed more to mutual incomprehension than conscious enmity!>%'? @n ' July $&2#, James had angrily prorogued 8arliament after failing to .in its support either for full union of the cro.ns or financial su5sidies! CI .ill not thank .here I feel no thanks due,C he had remarked in his closing speech! C!!!I am not of such a stock as to praise fools!!!Mou see ho. many things you did not .ell!!!I .ish you .ould make use of your tolet li5erty .ith more modesty in time to come!C>%:? 6s JamesFs reign progressed, his go ernment faced gro.ing financial pressures, due partly to creeping inflation>%*? 5ut also to the profligacy and financial incompetence of JamesFs court! In Fe5ruary $&$2 ,alis5ury, a 5elie er in parliamentary participation in go ernment,>&2? proposed a scheme, kno.n as the Areat -ontract, .here5y 8arliament, in return for ten royal concessions, .ould grant a lump sum of N&22,222 to pay off the kingFs de5ts plus an annual grant of N"22,222!>&$? ;he ensuing prickly negotiations 5ecame so protracted that James e entually lost patience and dismissed 8arliament on 3$ 1ecem5er $&$2! CMour greatest error,C he told ,alis5ury, Chath 5een that ye e er e0pected to dra. honey out of gallC!>&"? ;he same pattern .as repeated .ith the soEcalled C6ddled 8arliamentC of $&$#, .hich James dissol ed after a mere eight .eeks .hen -ommons hesitated to grant him the money he reIuired!>&3? James then ruled .ithout parliament until $&"$, employing officials such as the 5usinessman /ionel -ranfield, .ho .ere astute at raising and sa ing money for the cro.n, and sold earldoms and other dignities, many created for the purpose, as an alternati e source of income!>&#?

!edit" S&anish match

)ain article: ,panish )atch 8ortrait of James 5y John de -rit4, c! $&2& 6nother potential source of income .as the prospect of a ,panish do.ry from a marriage 5et.een -harles, 8rince of Wales, and the ,panish Infanta, )aria!>&%? ;he policy of the ,panish )atch, as it .as called, also attracted James as a .ay to maintain peace .ith ,pain and a oid the additional costs of a .ar!>&&? ;he peace 5enefits of the policy could 5e maintained as effecti ely 5y keeping the negotiations ali e as 5y consummating the matchO.hich may e0plain .hy James protracted the negotiations for almost a decade!>&'? ,upported 5y the 7o.ards and other -atholicEleaning ministers and diplomatsOtogether kno.n as the ,panish 8artyOthe policy .as deeply distrusted in 8rotestant England!

;he out5reak of the ;hirty Mears War, ho.e er, =eopardi4ed JamesFs peace policy, especially after his sonEinEla., Frederick <, Elector 8alatine, .as ousted from 9ohemia 5y Emperor Ferdinand II in $&"2, and ,panish troops simultaneously in aded FrederickFs Rhineland home territory! )atters came to a head .hen James finally called a parliament in $&"$ to fund a military e0pedition in support of his sonEinEla.!>&:? ;he -ommons on the one hand granted su5sidies inadeIuate to finance serious military operations in aid of Frederick,>&*? and on the otherOremem5ering the profits gained under Eli4a5eth 5y na al attacks on gold shipments from the De. WorldOcalled for a .ar directly against ,pain! In Do em5er $&"$, led 5y ,ir Ed.ard -oke, they framed a petition asking not only for .ar .ith ,pain 5ut also for 8rince -harles to marry a 8rotestant, and for enforcement of the antiE-atholic la.s!>'2? James flatly told them not to interfere in matters of royal prerogati e or they .ould risk punishment,>'$? .hich pro oked them into issuing a statement protesting their rights, including freedom of speech!>'"? James ripped the protest out of the record 5ook and dissol ed 8arliament once again!>'3? In $&"3, 8rince -harles, no. "3, and 9uckingham decided to sei4e the initiati e and tra el to ,pain incognito,>'#? to .in the Infanta directly, 5ut the mission pro ed a desperate mistake!>'%? ;he Infanta detested -harles, and the ,panish confronted them .ith terms that included his con ersion to -atholicism and a oneEyear stay in ,pain as, in essence, a diplomatic hostage! ;he prince and duke returned to England in @cto5er .ithout the Infanta and immediately renounced the treaty, much to the delight of the 9ritish people!>'&? ;heir eyes opened 5y the isit to ,pain, -harles and 9uckingham no. turned JamesHs ,panish policy upon its head and called for a French match and a .ar against the 7a5s5urg empire!>''? ;o raise the necessary finance, they pre ailed upon James to call another 8arliament, .hich met in Fe5ruary $&"#! For once, the outpouring of antiE-atholic sentiment in the -ommons .as echoed in court, .here control of policy .as shifting from James to -harles and 9uckingham,>':? .ho pressured the king to declare .ar and engineered the impeachment of the /ord ;reasurer, /ionel -ranfield, $st Earl of )iddlese0, .hen he opposed the plan on grounds of cost!>'*? ;he outcome of the 8arliament of $&"# .as am5iguous: James still refused to declare .ar, 5ut -harles 5elie ed the -ommons had committed themsel es to financing a .ar against ,pain, a stance .hich .as to contri5ute to his pro5lems .ith 8arliament in his o.n reign!>:2?

!edit" Religious &ro(lems

)ain article: James I of England and religious issues

James in a portrait 5y 8aul an ,omer I, c! $&"2! In the 5ackground is the 9anIueting 7ouse, Whitehall 5y architect Inigo Jones ($%'3E$&%") .hich .as commissioned 5y James! ;he Aunpo.der 8lot reinforced JamesFs oppression of nonEconforming English -atholicsJ and he sanctioned harsh measures for controlling them! In )ay $&2&, 8arliament passed the 8opish Recusants 6ct reIuiring e ery citi4en to take an @ath of 6llegiance denying the 8opeFs authority o er the king!>:$? James .as conciliatory to.ards -atholics .ho took the @ath of 6llegiance,>:"? and he tolerated cryptoE-atholicism e en at court!>:3? 7o.e er, in practice he enacted e en harsher measures against -atholics than .ere laid upon them 5y Eli4a5eth! ;o.ards the 8uritan clergy, .ith .hom he de5ated at the 7ampton -ourt -onference of $&2#,>:#? James .as at first strict in enforcing conformity, inducing a sense of persecution amongst many 8uritansJ>:%? 5ut e=ections and suspensions from li ings 5ecame fe.er as the reign .ore on! 6 nota5le success of the 7ampton -ourt -onference .as the commissioning of a ne. translation and compilation of appro ed 5ooks of the 9i5le to confirm the di ine right of kings to rule and to maintain the social hierarchy, completed in $&$$, .hich 5ecame kno.n as the King James 9i5le In ,cotland, James attempted to 5ring the ,cottish kirk Cso neir as can 5eC to the English church and reesta5lish the episcopacy, a policy .hich met .ith strong opposition!>:&? In $&$:, JamesFs 5ishops forced his Fi e 6rticles of 8erth through a Aeneral 6ssem5lyJ 5ut the rulings .ere .idely resisted!>:'? James .as to lea e the church in ,cotland di ided at his death, a source of future pro5lems for his son!>::?

!edit" Personal relationshi&s

)ain article: 8ersonal relationships of James I of England ,ee also: Ro5ert -arr, $st Earl of ,omerset and Aeorge <illiers, $st 1uke of 9uckingham

Ro5ert -arr, $st Earl of ,omerset ($%:'E$&#%), 5y John 7oskins

Aeorge <illiers, $st 1uke of 9uckingham ($%*"E$&":), 5y 8eter 8aul Ru5ens, $&"% ;hroughout his life James .as rumoured to ha e had lo e affairs .ith male courtiers, in particular EsmK ,te.art, &th /ord dF6u5igny (later $st 1uke of /enno0)J Ro5ert -arr, $st Earl of ,omersetJ and Aeorge <illiers, $st 1uke of 9uckingham! In his o.n time he .as notorious for his male lo es, and it .as said of him that 0li1a2eth )as 3in&, no) James is 4 een "-e5 f it 0li1a2eth, n nc est re&ina Jaco2 s$6 referring to his position of po.er in postEeli4a5ethan times! 7o.e er, this .as often misread to mean other things!>:*? ,ome modern historians disagree: C;he e idence of his correspondence and contemporary accounts ha e led some historians to conclude that the king .as homose0ual or 5ise0ual! In fact, the issue is murky!C (9uchol4, "22#)>*2? In Basili,on %oron, James lists sodomy among crimes Cye are 5ound in conscience ne er to forgi eC! 6t age "3, James and 322 of his men performed a dramatic rescue of 6nne of 1enmark .hen she .as stranded on the coast of Dor.ay! ;hey married and she ga e 5irth to se en children, some sources say nine children, only three of .hom sur i ed! James also had a documented t.o year affair .ith 6nne )urray, later .ith /ady Alamis, to .hom he .rote poetry! 7o.e er, restoration of 6pethorpe 7all, undertaken "22#E"22:, re ealed a pre iously unkno.n passage linking the 5edcham5ers of James and his fa ourite, Aeorge <illiers!>*$?

James I .ore the insignia of the @rder of the Aarter for this portrait 5y 1aniel )ytens in $&"$!

!edit" #he )*er(ur$ +ffair

When the Earl of ,alis5ury died in $&$", he .as little mourned 5y those .ho =ostled to fill the po.er acuum!>*"? Bntil ,alis5uryFs death, the Eli4a5ethan administrati e system o er .hich he had presided continued to function .ith relati e efficiencyJ from this time for.ard, ho.e er, JamesFs go ernment entered a period of decline and disrepute!>*3? ,alis5uryFs passing ga e James the notion of go erning in person as his o.n chief )inister of ,tate, .ith his young ,cottish fa ourite, Ro5ert -arr, <iscount Rochester, carrying out many of ,alis5uryFs former duties, 5ut JamesFs ina5ility to attend closely to official 5usiness e0posed the go ernment to factionalism!>*#? ;he 7o.ard party, consisting of Dorthampton, ,uffolk, ,uffolkFs sonEinEla. /ord Knollys, and -harles 7o.ard, Earl of Dottingham, along .ith ,ir ;homas /ake, soon took control of much of the go ernment and its patronage! E en the po.erful -arr, hardly e0perienced for the responsi5ilities thrust upon him and often dependent on his intimate friend ,ir ;homas @ er5ury for assistance .ith go ernment papers,>*%? fell into the 7o.ard camp, after 5eginning an affair .ith the married Frances 7o.ard, -ountess of Esse0, daughter of the earl of ,uffolk, .hom James assisted in securing an annulment of her marriage to free her to marry -arr!>*&? In summer $&$%, ho.e er, it emerged that @ er5ury, .ho on $% ,eptem5er $&$3 had died in the ;o.er of /ondon, .here he had 5een placed at the KingFs reIuest,>*'? had 5een poisoned!>*:? 6mong those con icted of the murder .ere Frances 7o.ard and Ro5ert -arr, the latter ha ing 5een replaced as the kingFs fa ourite in the meantime 5y <illiers! ;he implication of the King in such a scandal pro oked much pu5lic and literary con=ecture and irrepara5ly tarnished JamesFs

court .ith an image of corruption and depra ity!>**? ;he su5seIuent do.nfall of the 7o.ards left <illiers unchallenged as the supreme figure in the go ernment 5y $&$:!>$22?

!edit" Final $ear

1uring the last year of JamesFs life, .ith 9uckingham consolidating his control of -harles to ensure his o.n future, the king .as often seriously ill, lea ing him an increasingly peripheral figure, rarely a5le to isit /ondon!>$2$? In early $&"%, James .as plagued 5y se ere attacks of arthritis, gout and fainting fits, and in )arch fell seriously ill .ith tertian ague and then suffered a stroke! James finally died at ;heo5alds 7ouse on "' )arch during a iolent attack of dysentery, .ith 9uckingham at his 5edside!>$2"? JamesHs funeral, a magnificent 5ut disorderly affair, took place on ' )ay! 9ishop John Williams of /incoln preached the sermon, o5ser ing, CKing ,olomon died in 8eace, .hen he had li ed a5out si0ty years!!!and so you kno. did King JamesC!>$23?

!edit" ,egac$
;he king .as .idely mourned! For all his fla.s, James had ne er completely lost the affection of his people, .ho had en=oyed uninterrupted peace and comparati ely lo. ta0ation during the Jaco5ean Era! C6s he li ed in peace,C remarked the Earl of Kellie, Cso did he die in peace, and I pray Aod our king >-harles? may follo. himC!>$2#? ;he earl prayed in ain: once in po.er, -harles and 9uckingham sanctioned a series of reckless military e0peditions that ended in humiliating failure!>$2%? James 5eIueathed -harles a fatal 5elief in the di ine right of kings, com5ined .ith a disdain for 8arliament, .hich culminated in the English -i il War and the e0ecution of -harles! James had often neglected the 5usiness of go ernment for leisure pastimes, such as the huntJ and his later dependence on male fa ourites at a scandalEridden court undermined the respected image of monarchy so carefully constructed 5y Eli4a5eth!>$2&? ;he sta5ility of JamesHs go ernment in ,cotland, ho.e er, and in the early part of his English reign, as .ell as his relati ely enlightened ie.s on religious issues and .ar, ha e earned him a reEe aluation from many recent historians, .ho ha e rescued his reputation from a tradition of criticism stemming 5ack to the antiE,tuart historians of the midEse enteenth century!>$2'? ;he King James <ersion (CKJ<C) of the 9i5le .as dedicated to him, 5eing pu5lished in $&$$ as a result of the 7ampton -ourt -onference .hich he had con ened to resol e issues .ith translations then 5eing used! ;his translation of the 9i5le is still in .idespread use today! 1uring the reign of James, the English coloni4ation of Dorth 6merica started its course! In $&2', Jamesto.n .as founded in <irginia, and in $&"2 8lymouth in the )assachusetts 9ay -olony! 1uring the ne0t $%2 years, England .ould fight .ith ,pain, the Detherlands, and France for control of the continent!

!edit" #itles- st$les- honours and arms

Royal styles of

James VI- King of Scots

Reference st$le S&o.en st$le +lternati*e st$le

7is Arace Mour Arace ,ire

Royal styles of

King James I of England

Reference st$le S&o.en st$le +lternati*e st$le

7is )a=esty Mour )a=esty ,ire

!edit" #itles and st$les

/0 June /122 3 45 Jul$ /126: 8rince James /0 June /122 3 45 Jul$ /126: ;he 1uke of Rothesay (Earl of -arrick, /ord Renfre.) /7 Fe(ruar$ 3 45 Jul$ /126: ;he 1uke of 6l5any (Earl of Ross, /ord 6rdmannoch) 45 Jul$ /126 3 46 March /241: 7is .race James <I, King of ,cots 45 March /278 3 46 March /241: 7is +a8esty King James I of England

6s King of England and ,cots, JamesFs full style .as 7is +a8esty, James VI, 2y the .race of .od, 3in& of 0n&land, *rance and Ireland, 3in& of Scots, %efender of the *aith, etc6 8rior to his ascension in ,cotland, his full style .as Prince James St art, % ,e of -othesay, % ,e of 9l2any, 0arl of /arric,, 0arl of -oss, (ord -enfre), (ord 9rdmannoch, (ord of the Isles, Prince and .reat Ste)ard of Scotland

6rms as James <I, ,cottish Iuarterings of 6rms as 8rince King of ,cots, prior to the Royal arms of James, 1uke of Bnion of the -ro.ns, James <I P I, post Rothesay $&23 $&23

+uarterings of the Royal arms of James I P <I, post $&23, out.ith ,cotland

!edit" ,ist of 'ritings

7is +aiesties Poeticall 05ercises at Vacant 7o res,>$2:? poems, $%*$ o (epanto, poem 9 /o nter2laste to 'o2acco 9 %eclaration a&ainst Vorsti s E 7is +a8esties %eclaration concernin& his Proceedin&s )ith the States &enerall of the :nited Pro!inces of the (o) /o ntries, in the matter of %6 /onrad s Vorsti s, comprising Cthe seasona5le suppression of the dangerous doctrines of -onradus <orstiusC>$?

!edit" Children
Further information: 1escendants of James I of England JamesFs .ife, 6nne of 1enmark, ga e 5irth to se en children .ho sur i ed 5eyond 5irth:
>$2*?

$! 7enry, 8rince of Wales ($* Fe5ruary $%*# ( & Do em5er $&$")! 1ied, pro5a5ly of typhoid fe er, aged $:!>$$2? "! Eli4a5eth of 9ohemia ($* 6ugust $%*& ( $3 Fe5ruary $&&")! )arried $&$3, Frederick <, Elector 8alatine! 1ied aged &%! 3! )argaret ,tuart ("# 1ecem5er $%*: ( )arch $&22)! 1ied aged $! #! -harles I of England ($* Do em5er $&22 ( 32 January $&#*)! )arried $&"%, 7enrietta )aria! E0ecuted aged #:! %! Ro5ert ,tuart, 1uke of Kintyre ($: January $&2" ( "' )ay $&2")! 1ied aged # months!>$$$? &! )ary ,tuart (: 6pril $&2% ( $& 1ecem5er $&2')! 1ied aged "! '! ,ophia ,tuart! (1ied in June $&2' .ithin #: hours of 5irth!)>$$"?

James I .ith his children, engra ed 5y Willem de 8asse

.ife: 6nne of 1enmark

son: 7enry son: -harles I Frederick, 8rince of of England Wales

daughter: Eli4a5eth of 9ohemia

!edit" +ncestr$
>sho.?
Q

dQe

+ncestors of James I of England

$&! )atthe. ,te.art, "nd Earl of /enno0 :! John ,te.art, 3rd Earl of /enno0

$'! Eli4a5eth 7amilton

#! )atthe. ,te.art, #th Earl of /enno0 $:! John ,te.art, $st Earl of 6tholl

*! Eli4a5eth ,te.art

$*! Eleanor ,inclair

"! 7enry ,tuart, /ord 1arnley

"2! Aeorge 1ouglas, )aster of 6ngus $2! 6rchi5ald 1ouglas, &th Earl of 6ngus

"$! Eli4a5eth 1rummond

%! )argaret 1ouglas

""! 7enry <II of England

$$! )argaret ;udor

"3! Eli4a5eth of Mork

$! James VI of Scotland and I of England

"#! James III of ,cotland

$"! James I< of ,cotland

"%! )argaret of 1enmark

&! James < of ,cotland

"&! 7enry <II of England (R "")

$3! )argaret ;udor (R $$)

"'! Eli4a5eth of Mork (R "3)

3! )ary, +ueen of ,cots

":! RenK II, 1uke of /orraine

$#! -laude, 1uke of Auise

"*! 8hillipa of Auelders

'! )ary of Auise

32! FranSois, -ount of <endTme

$%! 6ntoinette de 9our5on

3$! )arie de /u0em5ourg

!edit" See also

-ultural depictions of James I of England

$! >