James I of England

James VI of Scots and James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) ruled England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 until his death, and in England and Ireland as James I from 24 March 1603 until his death. He was the first English monarch of the Stuart dynasty, succeeding the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, who died without children.

English succession

In 1586, James VI and Elizabeth I became allies under the Treaty of Berwick. James sought to remain in the favour of the unmarried Queen of England, as he was a potential successor to her Crown. Henry VIII had feared that the English Crown would go to a Scot: in his will, he excluded Margaret Tudor, James' grandmother, and her descendants from the line of succession. Although technically excluded by the will—which, under an Act of Parliament, had the force of law—both Mary and James were serious claimants to the English Crown, as they were Elizabeth I's closest relatives.

Related Topics:
1586 - Will - Mary

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Also in 1586, Mary was implicated in the Babington Plot, a scheme which sought to put her on the throne of England after murdering Elizabeth. Elizabeth had previously spared Mary's life after the Ridolfi Plot, but could no longer tolerate the danger she posed. Consequently, Mary was executed for her crimes in 1587; but for the will of Henry VIII, James was now the Heir Presumptive to the English Crown.

Related Topics:
Babington Plot - Ridolfi Plot - 1587 - Heir Presumptive

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Following her execution, Mary's Scottish supporters became weak; James managed to significantly reduce the influence of the Roman Catholic nobles in Scotland. He further endeared himself to Protestants by marrying Anne of Denmark—a princess from a Protestant country and daughter of Frederick II of Denmark—by proxy in 1589. Another marriage, this time with both parties personally present, occurred on 21 January 1590 at Krondborg during James' visit to Denmark. Soon after his return via Leith on 1 May, he attended the North Berwick Witch Trial, in which several people were convicted of having used witchcraft to create a storm in an attempt to sink the ship on which James and Anne had been travelling. This made him very concerned about the threat that witches and witchcraft were posing to himself and the country. During this period, he wrote the aforementioned treatise on demonology. As a result, hundreds of women were put to death for witchcraft; their bodies were later found in what was then called Nor' Loch (now Princes Street Gardens).

Related Topics:
Anne of Denmark - Frederick II of Denmark - 1589 - 21 January - 1590 - Krondborg - Denmark - Leith - 1 May - North Berwick Witch Trial - Witchcraft - Demonology - Nor' Loch - Princes Street Gardens

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At first, James and his new queen were close, but gradually drifted apart. The couple produced eight children, three of whom survived infancy and one who was stillborn. They decided to live apart after the death of their daughter Sophia.

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James faced a Roman Catholic uprising in 1588, and was forced to reconcile with the Church of Scotland, at length agreeing to the repeal of the Black Acts in 1592. James, fearing that dealing too harshly with the Catholic rebels might anger many English Catholics, agreed to pardon some of his opponents, which angered the Protestant Church. In 1600, a conspiracy was formed by John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie (son of the Earl of Gowrie, executed in 1584). Upon the failure of the plot, Lord Gowrie and his associates were executed, and even Protestant nobles began to be repressed by the King.

Related Topics:
1588 - 1592 - 1600 - Conspiracy - John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie

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Upon the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the Crown technically should have passed (under the will of Henry VIII) to Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp; some argue that Lord Beauchamp was attainted from succeeding to the throne and therefore that the heir was Lady Anne Stanley. Nevertheless, James was the only serious claimant to the English Crown; no others, including Lord Beauchamp and Lady Anne, were powerful enough to defend their claims. Thus, an Accession Council met and proclaimed James King of England. He and his wife were crowned on 25 July 1603 at Westminster Abbey. Scotland and England remained separate kingdoms; it was not until 1707 that the Act of Union merged the two nations to create Great Britain.

Related Topics:
1603 - Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp - Lady Anne Stanley - Accession Council - 25 July 1603 - Westminster Abbey - 1707 - Act of Union - Great Britain

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