King James I
Contents
Country
Great Britain
Birth - Death
1566 - 1625
Occupation
Politics
Notable Achievements
Head of State
Description
King James I acceded to the thrones of Ireland, Scotland, and England thereby uniting the three individual sovereign states that would become Great Britain during his reign, and known in the future as the United Kingdom. In the process, he created a single parliament based in England to govern the countries. He is also notable for the translation of The Bible which is used in the Anglican Church and other religious institutions, known as the Authorized King James Version.
Born as the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, James I, King of Scotland, acceded to the throne of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. The succession went relatively smoothly thereby allowing him to focus his attention on good governance and a smooth integration of England and Scotland.
Nevertheless, the reality of Protestant-Catholic partisanship continued to be a threat to his rule. Notable examples of this occurred with the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, where Catholic Guy Fawkes was caught just prior to the implementation of his plan to blow up the Parliament buildings when in session. The revelation of this plot actually worked to cement the relationship between Parliament and the Crown and worked to help the union of the two former sovereign states.
The peace between Parliament and Crown lasted only so long as the rapidly deteriorating financial condition of James’ court, partly the result of the expense of participation in the Seven Years War in Europe. After failing to receive funding from Parliament to the extent requested, James dissolved the Parliament from 1614-1621. To maintain his power and control, James had to exercise restraint in his dealing with Catholics, despite the popular push for harsh treatment of non-conforming Catholics. Similarly, the church in Scotland was divided between Presbyterians and Episcopalians.
Nevertheless, domestic peace was a constant feature during King James’ reign. It was tentative enough to pass on the fissures that lead to the Civil War under his successor’s reign (Charles I), but James I managed to maintain a semblance of stable government.
One sticking point which continuously worked against James I was his homosexuality. It tended to be publicly known, and he exercised it through his blatant policy of male favourites and his disdain for women. Intimate relations existed between King James I and his childhood friend the Duke of Lenox (Esme Stewart). Later, his relationships with the Earl of Somerset (Robert Carr), and the Duke of Buckingham (George Villiers) were among the most prominent. James I was known to dote on his male acquaintances in public and to seek their erotic favours. He provided each with costly jewels, land, and their hereditary titles.
James I himself was a noted scholar and man of learning. He continued his predecessor’s penchant for supporting poets, writers, artists, and musicians. He published much himself and took on the task of assisting in the writing of the authorized version of The Bible to be used across all religions in his reign, published in 1611.
James I lived in a political world torn between opposing factions who each resorted to nefarious means to achieve their ends. Managing these opposing forces, while maintaining international peace to ensure no drain on the Crown’s purse, was a difficult engagement at the best of times. James was able to retain control and ensure the union of the two formerly hostile countries through a combination of recruiting talented and loyal aids and playing off those opposing factions. However, this would not be enough to ensure subsequent peace.
By the time of his death, James I was exhausted from the continuous struggles of life in his time. His principal consolation was the personal attraction and devotion of his closest confidante at the time, the Duke of Buckingham. That England and Scotland remain united today is the result of James I’s dedication to the benefits of the union.
