James I

**James VI and I** was King of Scotland as **James VI** from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as **James I** from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death in 1625.

## Biography

The young king was kept fairly isolated but was given a good education until the age of 14. He studied Greek, French, and Latin and made good use of a library of classical and religious writings that his tutors, George Buchanan and Peter Young, assembled for him. His education was Puritan based and he was pushed very hard by his teachers George Buchanan and Peter Young. However, James became fluent in Latin and French and competent in Italian. He also studied Greek. In his early years, James developed a great desire for knowledge but it also gave him an over inflated idea as to his own worth as an academic.

As a youth James was surrounded by men who, in an attempt to boost their influence, tried to flatter him at every opportunity. It was a tactic that Robert Carr and George Villiers were to use with great success after James was made king of England.

In 1582 as king of Scotland he had been kidnapped by Scottish nobles and only escaped in the following year.

Throughout his youth, James was praised for his chastity, since he showed little interest in women. After the loss of Lennox, he continued to prefer male company.

He married Anne of Denmark in 1589. She proved to be a shallow and frivolous person and James found respite from her by surrounding himself with young men.

James died on March 27th, 1625, at his favourite hunting lodge – Theobalds in Essex. His funeral was described as magnificent, confused and disorderly.

## Personality

In Scotland, James never had full control of the country. Scotland was seen as ungovernable in parts – governed solely by the clans.

James developed a great desire for knowledge but it also gave him an over inflated idea as to his own worth as an academic. He believed that he was capable of out-arguing almost anyone. He believed that he, as an academic, had a correct answer to all problems. James’s education aroused in him literary ambitions rarely found in princes but which also tended to make him a pedant.

James was a fervent believer in the Divine Right of Kings. He had a high opinion as to his academic ability. He also held in high regard his ability to be a king. In Scotland, he had faced a lawless society where many lords simply ruled as they wished in their own area. By the time of his departure for London in 1603, James had done a great deal to tame the Scottish nobility and this had greatly boosted his own belief in his ability to be king. He described himself as “an old experienced king, needing no lessons.”

He proved to be decisive in that once he adopted his argument he kept to it. But such an approach simply meant that at some stage he would have to give in.

The one great fear of his life was a violent death.

One time consuming passion of James was hunting. James had become keen on hunting in his youth.

On one occasion when told by a courtier that the public wanted to see him, James replied “God’s wounds! I will pull down my breeches and they shall see my arse!”

James was not a successful statesman. His upbringing had led to him developing a hatred of war and any foreign policy that might result in war was quickly discarded. “He naturally loved not the sight of a soldier, nor any violent man.” Though James wanted to avoid any foreign policy that might lead to conflict, he did not allow anyone else to formulate policy. He sort the advice of many but failed to act on any of this advice.

## Skills and abilities

### Skills

* **Academic**: *To be added*
* **Bilingualism**: James is fluent in Latin and French, and competant in Italian. He also has at least a basic understanding of Greek.
* **Expert Hunter**: James has a passion for hunting.

## See also

John Naysmyth - Surgeon
James Naesmyth - Falconer
https://repository.arizona.edu/bitstream/handle/10150/612983/azu\_etd\_mr\_2016\_0085\_sip1\_m.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y