BBC - History - James I and VI z James I of England and VI of Scotland © James was king of Scotland until 1603, when he became the first Stuart king of England as well, creating the kingdom of Great Britain. James was born on 19 June 1566 in Edinburgh Castle. His mother was Mary, Queen of Scots and his father her second husband, Lord Darnley. Darnley was murdered in February 1567. In July Mary was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son. James's tutor, the historian and poet George Buchanan, was a positive influence and James was a capable scholar. A succession of regents ruled the kingdom until 1576, when James became nominal ruler, although he did not actually take control until 1581. He proved to be a shrewd ruler who effectively controlled the various religious and political factions in Scotland. In 1586, James and Elizabeth I became allies under the Treaty of Berwick. When his mother was executed by Elizabeth the following year, James did not protest too vociferously - he hoped to be named as Elizabeth's successor. In 1589, James married Anne of Denmark.

Three of their seven children survived into adulthood. In March 1603, Elizabeth died and James became king of England and Ireland in a remarkably smooth transition of power. After 1603 he only visited Scotland once, in 1617. One of James's great contributions to England was the Authorised King James's Version of the bible (1611) which was to become the standard text for more than 250 years. But he disappointed the Puritans who hoped he would introduce some of the more radical religious ideas of the Scottish church, and the Catholics, who anticipated more lenient treatment. In 1605, a Catholic plot to blow up king and parliament was uncovered. James's firm belief in the divine right of kings, and constant need for money, also brought him into conflict repeatedly with parliament. Abroad, James attempted to encourage European peace. In 1604, he ended the long-running war with Spain and tried to arrange a marriage between his son and the Spanish Infanta. He married his daughter Elizabeth to the elector of the palatinate, Frederick, who was the leader of the German Protestants.

James's eldest son Henry died in 1612 and his wife Anne in 1619.

James himself died on 27 March 1625 and was succeeded by his second son, Charles King James I | Britroyals Born: June 19, 1566 at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland Parents: Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley Relation to Elizabeth II: 9th great-grandfather House of: Stuart Ascended to the throne: March 24, 1603 aged 36 years Crowned: July 25, 1603 at Westminster Abbey, also as James VI of Scotland at Stirling Castle on July 29, 1567 Married: Anne, Daughter of Frederick II of Denmark and Norway Children: Three sons and five daughters, of whom three survived infancy; Henry, Elizabeth and Charles Died: March 27, 1625 at Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire, aged 58 years, 9 months, and 7 days Buried at: Westminster Reigned for: 22 years, and 3 days, King of Scotland for 57 years 1567-1625 Succeeded by: his son Charles James was the son of Mary Queen

 of Scots and her second husband Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley.

He was descended through the Scottish kings from Robert the Bruce, and the English Tudors through his great grandmother Margaret Tudor sister of Henry VIII. His parent�s marriage was short-lived and Darnley was found murdered 8 months after James was born in June 1566. His mother married again, but in 1567 was forced to renounce the throne of Scotland in favour of her infant son. James became King James VI of Scotland aged 13 months in July 1567, and was crowned at Stirling. Mary fled to England where she was eventually executed following Catholic plots against Elizabeth I in 1587. His childhood and adolescence were unhappy, abnormal, and precarious; he had various guardians, whose treatment of him differed widely. His education, although thorough, was weighted with strong Presbyterian and Calvinist political doctrine, and his character � highly intelligent and sensitive, but also fundamentally shallow, vain, and exhibitionist � reacted violently to this. He also sought solace with extravagant and unsavoury male favourites who, in later years, were to have a damaging effect on his prestige and state affairs. A suitable Queen was found for him in Anne of Denmark and they were married in 1589.

As King of Scotland, he curbed the power of the nobility, although his attempts to limit the authority of the Kirk (Church of Scotland) were less successful. When Elizabeth I of England died in 1603 unmarried, James moved to London and was crowned King James I of England the first of the Stuart Kings of the combined crowns of England and Scotland. The English courtiers were wary of his Scottish favourites, affairs with male courtiers and uncouth ways. He was however a supporter of literature and arts. William Shakespeare was among the �Kings Men� troupe of actors who performed plays for their patron James. He commissioned the King James Authorized Version of the Bible, published in 1611, which remains one of the most important English translations of the Bible. He initially acted mainly upon the advice of Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, but on Salisbury�s death all restraint vanished. His religious policy consisted of asserting the supreme authority and divine right of the crown and suppressing both Puritans and Catholics who objected. Guy Fawkes' attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605 produced an anti-Catholic reaction, which gave James a temporary popularity which soon dissipated.

His foreign policy aimed primarily at achieving closer relations with Spain was not liked by Parliament who saw Spain as the Old Catholic enemy of the Armada and competitor for world trade. During his reign the East India Company expanded trade bringing spices from the East, and Jamestown was founded in Virginia. His willingness to compromise politically, even while continuing to talk in terms of absolutism, largely accounts for the superficial stability of his reign. However, the effects of many of his actions were long term, becoming fully obvious only after his death. James and Anne had 8 children only three of whom survived infancy. Their eldest son Henry died aged 18 of typhoid, and their 2nd son Charles became King Charles I. The marriage of their daughter Elizabeth to Frederic V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, was to result in the eventual Hanoverian succession to the British throne. King James I's Signature Quotes: What God hath conjoined let no man separate.

I am the husband and the whole isle is my lawful wife' - James VI of Scotland who also became James I of England on the union of the crowns of Scotland and England, 1603 �[Smoking is] hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.� � King James I �I can make a lord, but only God can make a gentleman� � King James I �God�s wounds! I will pull down my breeches and they shall see my arse!� � King James I (on being told that his subjects wanted to see his face) �Kings are justly called gods for they exercise a manner or resemblance of divine power upon earth� � King James I Timeline for King James I Year King James I English Bible History King James I With the death of Queen Elizabeth I, Prince James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. His name has become synonymous with the famous printing of the Bible that bears his name, the “King James Bible” of 1611 AD . He was one of the most intelligent Kings to reign over England, but his personal life made him the most controversial since his relative, King Henry VIII.

James VI of Scotland and James I of England James VI of Scotland (June 19, 1566 - March 27, 1625, reigned July 24, 1567 - March 27, 1625) became James I of England and Ireland (reigned March 24, 1603-March 27, 1625) and was the first king of both England and Scotland. He also held the title of King of France, as had all his predecessors in the English throne since October 21, 1422, although by his time the title didn't come with an active claim of this throne. James succeeded Elizabeth I as the closest living relative of the unmarried childless English monarch, through his descent from one of Henry VIII's sisters. King James Crowned at the Age of One Prince James became King of Scotland on July 24, 1567, at the age of 13 months, after his mother Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate. Mary fled to England, where she was imprisoned for the next 19 years.

His father, Lord Darnley, had died in mysterious circumstances shortly after James was born. James was formally crowned at the Church of the Holy Rood, Stirling on July 29, 1567. In accordance to the religious atmosphere of the time, he was brought up as a Scottish Presbyterian, though his mother had been a Roman Catholic. King James – from Scotland to England James inherited the throne of England after the death of his mother's cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. James was never a very popular monarch among the people of England. He laid much of the groundwork that would eventually lead to the beheading of his heir Charles I during the English Civil War, but because of his political skills, his rule was relatively stable. James married Anne of Denmark by proxy on August 20, 1589, and in person on November 23, 1589 and again in person in January 21, 1590.

They had eight children, of whom only three lived beyond infancy: Henry, Prince of Wales- (February 19, 1594 - November 6, 1612), Elizabeth Stuart - (August 19, 1596 - February 13, 1662), and King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland - (November 19, 1600 - January 30, 1649). James dissolved the English Parliament on February 8, 1622, following a dispute involving parliamentary criticisms of a marriage proposed by James, of his son Charles to Princess Maria Anna of Spain. King James was quoted as saying, "Monarchy is the greatest thing on earth. Kings are rightly called gods since just like God they have power of life and death over all their subjects in all things. They are accountable to God only ... so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do." King James is considered to have been one of the most intellectual and learned individuals ever to sit on any English or Scottish throne.

He is primarily remembered for authorizing the production of the King James Version of the Bible, the highly popular English translation from Greek and Hebrew, which remains the most printed book in the history of the world, with over one billion copies in print. King James had nothing to do with the translating the Bible, he merely authorized it and provided financing for its production. Beyond that, however, James wrote several books himself. 'Queen James' One area of the life of King James that for many years remained clouded in controversy was allegations that James was homosexual. As James did father several children by Anne of Denmark, it is actually more accurate to say that he was allegedly a bi-sexual. While his close relationships with a number of men were noted, earlier historians questioned their sexual nature, however, few modern historians cast any doubt on the King's bisexuality and the fact that his sexuality and choice of male partners both as King of Scotland then later in London as King of England were the subject of gossip from the city taverns to the Privy Council.

His relationship as a teenager with fellow teenager Esmé Stuart, Earl of Lennox was criticized by Scottish Church leaders, who were part of a conspiracy to keep the young King and the young French courtier apart, as the relationship was improper to say the least. Lennox, facing threats of death, was forced to leave Scotland. In the 1580s, King James openly kissed Francis Stewart Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Contemporary sources clearly hinted their relationship was a sexual one. When James inherited the English throne from Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, it was openly joked of the new English monarch in London that “Elizabeth was King: now James is Queen!” If there is still any doubt, it should be noted that George Villiers, also held an intimate relationship with King James, about which King James himself was quite open. King James called Villiers his “wife” and called himself Villiers' “husband”! King James died in 1625 of gout and senility. He is buried in the Henry VII chapel in Westminster Abbey, with one of his favorite male suitors on his right, and another on his left.

King James I: Biography of King James I Basilicon Doron THE KING UNITES THE ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH CROWNS. King James' great aspiration to be the first King of both Scotland and England was realized in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. When he ascended to the English throne that year he had already been king of Scotland for 36 years. He was now known as King James VI of Scotland & I of England. THE KING HAD MANY ENEMIES. Roman Catholics attempted to assassinate King James in 1605 in what is known as the Gunpowder Plot. In the plot, Guy Fawkes and other Catholics designed to blow up, via gunpowder, the king and the entire British Parliament. As related in King James' Workes, the conspiracy was miraculously discovered.

According to King James in his treatise entitled, "A Catalogue of the Lyes of Tortvs, Together With A Briefe Confutation of Them" (Workes page 340) it was not any "just occasion of despaire giuen [given] to the Powder-Traitours...but the instructions which they had from the Iesuits [Jesuits], that caused them to attempt this bloody designe: See the Premonition, pag. 291 & 335. and the booke intituled, The proceedings against the late Traitours." This failed attempt to murder King James is still remembered each year in England on November 5 and is known as Guy Fawkes Night. Excerpt from our index page-- A look at the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 can direct the attention as to what has been happening in the earth. (During the Gunpowder Plot, Roman Catholics tried to kill King James, his wife, his son, and the entire British Parliament.

(According to King James, Roman Catholic clergy (specifically Jesuits) were the chief conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot (see Remonstrance for the right of Kings ( Workes , p. 381). The Gunpowder Plot is an example of classic Roman Catholic recusancy. This link puts the Gunpowder Plot in historical perspective and addresses some of what happened after the Plot unto current times.) It includes a link to information on the "common good" which is being spoken about these days.) King James was an evangelist of the true gospel, which automatically made him an enemy of Rome. He identified the pope as antichrist . King James strongly delineated the errors of Roman superstition and spurned them, yet he treated Roman Catholic subjects fairly. Catholic ambassador Nicolo Molin said this of King James: "He is a Protestant...the King tries to extend his Protestant religion to the whole island. The King is a bitter enemy of our religion. He frequently speaks of it in terms of contempt.

He is all the harsher because of this last conspiracy against his life...He understood that the Jesuits had a hand in it." As a Scotsman ruling over the English, the King endured much racism and slander--especially from the once powerful English Lords and Ladies who he replaced with his Scottish countrymen. Unfortunately, many of today's historians look to the writings of hostile sources such as Sir Anthony Weldon and Francis Osborne as accurate descriptions of the king. One of the king's detractors, Sir Anthony Weldon, was knighted by King James but was subsequently dismissed after King James found racist writings by Weldon about the King's native Scotland (e.g., "A Perfect Description of the People and Country of Scotland"). Many historians today quote Weldon and other hostile sources as they attack the character and person of King James, but a rumor does not make a man guilty of anything--even if that rumor is spread amongst "scholars". King James' enemies were at work while he was still alive.

The king wrote of his enemies: "They quarrel me (not for any evil or vice in me) but because I was a king, which they thought the highest evil, and because they were ashamed to profess this quarrel they were busy to look narrowly in all my actions, and I warrant you a moat in my eye, yes a false report was matter enough for them to work upon." --James I, Basilicon Doron Notwithstanding the calumniations of his detractors, King James the VI of Scotland and I of England was a highly successful King. He kept his kingdom out of war and wielded effective authority over the more far-flung areas of the realm where there had been troubles historically. There was peace during his reign--both with his subjects and with foreign powers. His motto was "Beati Pacifici,"--Blessed are the peacemakers. KING JAMES AND THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS. The following is excerpted from "King James VI & I and the Divine Right of Kings"-- In the minds of many, the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings is closely (if not exclusively) associated with King James VI & I.

It is important to note, however, that the Divine Right of Kings (the idea that kings are accountable to God alone), neither began nor ended with King James Charles Stuart. If we go back 300 years before the birth of King James, we find this doctrine in the writings of Henry of Bratton, a.k.a. Bracton, an English judge who wrote on English jurisprudence. If we go forward 15 years after the king's death, we find the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings in the 1640 Decree of the Clergy on Regal Power (see, Sources of English Constitutional History by Stephenson & Marcham, 1972 ed., p. 491). Author Stephen Coston notes-- "With respect to the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings, this doctrine was the principal force restraining the authority of the Popes in James' time and thereafter...[W]ithout the doctrine of the Divine Right, Roman Catholicism would have dominated history well beyond its current employment in the Dark Ages. Furthermore, Divine Right made it possible for the Protestant Reformation in England to take place, mature and spread to the rest of the globe.

"I also suspect that many...individuals who depreciate His Majesty King James VI & I also criticize his belief in the Royal Prerogative. They like to praise Queen Elizabeth I, yet forget that she was as strong, if not more so, in her belief in the Royal Prerogative than was His Majesty King James VI & I: She wrote to her last Parliament in 1601: "The Royal Prerogative was not to be canvassed, nor disputed, nor examined, and did not even admit of any limitation, that it was in vain to attempt tying the Queen's hands by Laws and Statutes, since by means of her dispensing powers she could loosen herself at her pleasure." King James believed in the doctrine of the divine right of kings and the monarch's duty to reign according to God's law and the public good. While it is often mentioned that King James VI & I spoke about the divine right of kings, but many do not know why he did this. They may think that they know, but they have not read the king's workes for themselves--what they "know" is what somebody told them. They just accepted the interpretation of a professor, textbook author, etc. In actuality...

KING JAMES POWERFULLY DEFENDED THE RIGHT OF KINGS TO RULE THEIR OWN KINGDOMS. When examining James' Workes, one can find the king writing against the Roman Catholic doctrines that make king's vassals to the pope and even commend king-killing. King James wrote against Romish interference in kingdoms and the resulting Roman Catholic recusancy and murder and troubling of kings. These Roman Catholic practices predated King James by hundreds of years. The following is an excerpt of "King James I and the Defense of the Divine Right of Kings" -- By the times of King James, the Popes of Rome had been usurping the rights of kings for centuries on end, placing them under interdict and causing many troubles, e.g., releasing Catholics from obeying the laws of the land, AND TELLING THEM THAT IT IS A "MERITORIOUS" THING TO KILL A HERETICK KING. IN FACT, JESUITS AND ROMAN CATHOLICS TRIED TO KILL KING JAMES IN THE GUNPOWDER PLOT OF 1605. King James wrote forcefully about the Roman Catholic church's tendency to usurp power, kill kings, and disrupt kingdoms.

The following is excerpted from, "King James has a message that Rome does not want you to hear." THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOURS As a result of the king's writings, Catholics were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to The Workes, in some countries, Roman Catholic books were burned. Kings across the land began to stand up and assert their right to rule their own kingdoms without papal interference. In this context, a new truth comes to light. King James' now-scorned defense of the divine right of kings was a loud, staunch, effective battering ram against long-standing papal power wielded over kings and kingdoms through Roman Catholic recusancy. ONE OF THE KING'S MOST FAMOUS SUBJECTS. King James lived during a pivotal time in history. He was a descendant of Henry the VIII, his mother was Mary Queen of Scots, his cousin was Elizabeth I (his predecessor), his physician Harvey discovered that the circulatory system is a closed system, he spent time with the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe, etc. As a lover of the theatre, King James became patron to the troop of one of his most famous subjects--William Shakespeare, the playwright.

Shakespeare's troop came to be known as the King's Men. Shakespeare and the King held a special relationship as they both loved literature. It is said Shakespeare wrote his famous play, "Macbeth" specifically for King James. FOUNDING MONARCH OF THE UNITED STATES. In 1607, colonists sent by the Virginia Company arrived in Virginia and named the place of their habitation "Jamestowne" in honor of their king. Jamestown went on to become the first permanent English settlement on the American mainland making King James VI & I founding monarch of the United States. Jamestown, established over a decade before the pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, is known today as "the place where America began". On a trip to JAMEStown, VA one can visit the sites of "JAMES Forte" "JAMES River" "JAMES City County" "JAMES Island", etc. Jamestown Settlement in Virginia has reconstructions of the ships that brought the first colonists over, as well as other reconstructions, artifiacts etc. It is located near historic Jamestown where the colonists actually lived. See this link for pictures of modern signs in Jamestown, Virginia.

Under James' reign, we have the first successful colonies planted on the American mainland--Virginia, Massachusetts , and Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland) in SE Canada. The King himself ordered, wrote and authorized the Evangelistic Grant Charter to settle the Colony of Virginia: "To make habitation...and to deduce a colony of sundry of our people into that part of America, commonly called Virginia...in propagating of Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness...to bring a settled and quiet government." CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT. Not only was King James the first monarch to unite Scotland, England and Ireland into Great Britain (as he liked to call it), but he commanded the translation of the Authorized Version of 1611 of the Bible . It is also known as the Authorized King James Bible. King James gave his subjects (and ultimately the world) the greatest gift possible--the Bible--so that they could be saved and fed from the Word of God. In January of 1604, the King called the Hampton Court Conference in order to hear of things "pretended to be amiss" in the church. At this conference, Dr.

John Reynolds, a Puritan, requested of the King a new translation of the Bible because those that were allowed during the reigns of Henry the VIII and Edward the VI were corrupt. The King liked the idea and by July of 1604 the King had appointed 54 men to the translation committee . These men were not only the best linguists and scholars in the kingdom, but in the world. Much of their work on the King James Bible formed the basis for our linguistic studies of today. The translators were organized into six groups and met respectively at Westminster, Cambridge, and Oxford. This group of great scholars had qualifications such as have not been rivaled before or after them. They spent most of their lifetimes in the pursuit of God and knowledge. One translator, Dr. Lancelot Andrews, mastered at least 15 languages and by the time he was 6 years old, he had read the entire Bible in Hebrew. Others on the translation committee were just as qualified. Some wrote foreign language dictionaries and lexicons, they commonly debated in Greek, they translated and edited great works and wrote their own. These are but a few of their fantastic accomplishments.

They not only knew the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek biblical languages but also the related languages that shed light on them such as Arabic, Persian, Coptic, Syriac, Latin, Chaldee, Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch. These men were not only world class scholars, they were Christians who lived holy lives as Deans and Presidents of major universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster. Some prayed 5 hours a day. Their translation work did not go without opposition. According to the translator's notes in the preface of the King James Bible, the Roman Catholic religion was dead set against translating the Bible into the common tongue. Popery proved to be one of the translators' chief enemies.

The translators wrote of the Roman Catholic institution-- "So much are they afraid of the light of the scripture, that they will not trust the people with it...Sure we are that not he that hath the good gold, that is afraid to bring it to the touchstone, but he that hath the counterfeit." In reading The Translators to the Reader and The Epistle Dedicatory found in the Authorized Version, we learn that King James himself stood as a wall and a bulwark protecting the work from that which would hinder it.

The following is excerpted from The Translators to the Reader found in earlier printing of the Authorized Version-- ¶ His Majesty's constancy, notwithstanding calumniation*, for the survey of the English translations This, and more to this purpose, his Majesty that now reigneth (and long and long may he reign, and his offspring for ever, Himself and children and children's children always!) knew full well, according to the singular wisdom given unto him by God, and the rare learning and experience that he hath attained unto; namely, That whosoever attempteth any thing for the publick, (especially if it appertain to religion, and to the opening and clearing of the word of God) the same setteth himself upon a stage to be glouted upon by every evil eye; yea, he casteth himself headlong upon pikes, to be gored by every sharp tongue. For he that meddleth with men's religion in any part meddleth with their custom, nay, with their freehold; and though they find no content in that which they have, yet they cannot abide to hear of altering.

Notwithstanding his royal heart was not daunted or discouraged for this or that colour, but stood resolute, As a statue immoveable, and an anvil not easy to be beaten into plates, as one saith; he knew who had chosen him to be a soldier, or rather a captain; and being assured that the course which he intended made much for the glory of God, and the building up of his Church, he would not suffer it to be broken off for whatsoever speeches or practices. It doth certainly belong unto kings, yea, it doth specially belong unto them, to have care of religion, yea, to know it aright, yea, to profess it zealously, yea, to promote it to the uttermost of their power. This is their glory before all nations which mean well, and this will bring unto them a far most excellent weight of glory in the day of the Lord Jesus. * CALUMNIATION, n. False accusation of a crime or offense, or a malicious and false representation of the words or actions of another, with a view to injure his good name. (ref. Webster's 1828) Despite the opposition of the Roman Catholic institution, the work was completed.

It was published in 1611 and became known as the Authorised Version of the Bible. This link commemorates the 400th year anniversary of the Authorized Version and includes much fascinating history in a concise, short format. In the years after its publication, the Authorized Version eclipsed all previous versions--not by force, the people simply chose it. Two hundred and fifty years after the Authorized Version was published, strange fire would appear. The first word of this strange fire was, "Revised" It was called the "Revised Standard Version." Today, one can find a plethora of unauthorized Bible versions available in the marketplace sometimes deleting verses, changing words, and espousing many strange doctrines. Purveyors of these unauthorized versions often assert that they are based on "older and better" Greek manuscripts--but Not all believe that those "older and better" manuscripts are authentic . The Authorized Version of the Bible is the precepts of a mighty nation --its history shows it to be the culmination work of nations and ages (the reader may wish to see our article, "What about the translations of the Bible that existed before the Authorized Version of 1611?

What is to be made of them?" ) The name of the Authorized Version states exactly what it is, the authorized version of the Bible. It is an historic document--has no successor and cannot be revised, it is historic. The correction of printing errors and the standardization of spelling did not constitute revisions, just minor edits. The Authorized Version is an historic document. It has no successors (notwithstanding the claims of some). It is itself, published in 1611. THE KING'S WRITINGS. King James wrote extensively on a variety of subjects. Fortunately, in 1616, the bishop of his chapel compiled many of the king's writings into one volume entitled, "The Workes of the Most High and Mightie Prince, Iames, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. (in Jacobean typography, the letter "I" can represent "I" or "J". Iames = James) In reading The Workes, we find that although King James was a highly learned scholar and statesman, his writings are forthright, cogent, lively, interesting, unpretentious, and easy to read.

An excellent summary of these fascinating works can be found here . In The Workes, one finds that King James was a contender for the faith of Jesus Christ and cared about the spiritual well-being of his kingdom. He even wrote Christian meditations for his people and his court. His writings are still relevant today and are important sources for understanding the nature of law and government--and the times in which we live today. The King James Bible translators reference the king's writings in the Epistle Dedicatory of the King James Bible-- ...the zeal of Your Majesty toward the house of God doth not slack or go backward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting itself abroad in the farthest parts of Christendom, by writing in defence of the Truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that man of sin, as will not be healed,) and every day at home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the house of God, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the Teachers thereof, by caring for the Church, as a most tender and loving nursing Father. This appears to be a reference to the king's writings in regards to the usurping tendencies of the Roman Catholic papacy, writings which set Europe aflame.

Maurus Lunn, member of the Benedictine order, said this about the ensuing controversy, "Fought by paper tigers, it was a paper war that penetrated every corner of Europe, the like of which will probably never be seen again...." Find a summary of the Workes here . PHYSICAL AILMENTS. Although King James had a life filled with accomplishments, he was a man acquainted with grief. He was a sickly man who had physical handicaps in his legs and a tongue that was too large for his mouth. As a result of his unsteady gait, the king had numerous falls, accidents and injuries. He suffered from crippling arthritis, abdominal colic, gout, inability to sleep, weak/spasmic limbs, nausea, frequent diarrhea, and kidney pain. Some believe that he may have had congenital diseases of the nervous system. Sometimes the pain was so great that the king became delirious. To add to his ill-health, the king suffered from depression from the loss of his beloved wife Queen Anne in 1619. She was preceded in death by their eldest son, Prince Henry in 1612. The King was no stranger to pain and sorrow.

The sun set on King James the great monarch on March 27, 1625 at Theobolds Park in Herts, England. He was 58 years old when he died and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Unlike many Scottish monarchs, King James died in his bed at peace with his subjects and foreign countries. He also passed royal power on, intact, to an adult son which was also quite unusual. Though he died almost 400 years long ago, the King's legacy, the King James Bible continues to flourish and to bring men, women, boys and girls to a life-saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Where the word of a king is, there is power. Ecclesiastes 8:4 The Life of King James I of England by John Butler James I of England and VI of Scotland was born in 1566, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots , and Henry, Lord Darnley . James had to face difficulties from his earliest years—his mother was an incompetent ruler who quarrelled with politicians and churchmen such as John Knox , and she may have been involved in the murder of her husband Darnley, himself a worthless character.

The murder was carried out partly to avenge the slaying of Mary's secretary and possible lover, David Rizzio or Riccio, in which Darnley played a part (before James's birth), and it also enabled Mary to marry her current lover, the Earl of Bothwell . Mary was deposed by the Scottish lords in 1567, and fled to England, where she sought the protective custody of Elizabeth I , who clapped her in prison and had her beheaded twenty years later. James grew up under various regencies and a couple of notable tutors, the poet, dramatist and humanist George Buchanan , and Peter Young, whose good nature and enthusiasm for lighter reading somewhat offset the formidable learning and sometimes overbearingly serious teaching methods of Buchanan. James chafed against Buchanan and disliked him, but in later years would boast that he had been the great man's pupil. Buchanan instilled in James political theories which included the idea that the king is beholden to the people for his power, a belief which James later came to reject in favour of Divine Right kingship.

From Young he learned to appreciate poetry (Buchanan wrote Latin poetry of a largely didactic nature, and encouraged James to read mostly Latin and Greek books) and delved deeply into his mother's library of French verse and romances. James developed a genuine love of learning (he was not, as many authors have claimed, a mere pedant), some skill in writing poetry, and a lively prose style. He also showed an interest in plays, including those of Shakespeare and Jonson , and was particularly fond of the masque , which would become the leading form of court entertainment when James became King of England in 1603. His marriage to Anne of Denmark , herself a great patron of masques and a connoisseur of literature, may have piqued his interest in this particularly royal form of entertainment, with its music, dancing, singing and elaborate sets designed by Inigo Jones . Of the children of King James and Queen Anne, only three survived to adulthood: Henry, Prince of Wales , who died untimely in 1612, possibly of typhoid fever, Charles , who succeeded his father as king, and Princess Elizabeth, who married Frederick V, Elector Palatine.

James published his first book in 1584, entitled The Essays of a Prentice in the Divine Art of Poesy , which he followed up in 1591 with His Majesties Poetical Exercises at Vacant Hours . In the first book James included some translations he had made from du Bartas , whose Uranie takes the muse Urania and transforms her into a Christian figure representing the Holy Spirit, an idea which appealed to James at the time, because he thought he could employ poetry for the dissemination of his religious and political beliefs. As a King, James had a special relationship with God and could therefore write religious poetry from a special viewpoint. James's poetry is competent, and sometimes he manages a striking line or two; one of his best poems is the sonnet he wrote prefacing his book Basilikon Doron (1599). The majority of James's written works are concerned with theology and the justification of the theory of Divine Right, and for those reasons he must be considered as a major writer of political philosophy.

In lively style and with considerable learning he defended the Oath of Allegiance which Catholics were required to take, disputed it with the great Cardinal Bellarmine , wrote two books on Divine Right, one, Basilikon Doron, for the edification of his son Prince Henry (1594-1612) and the other, The True Law of Free Monarchies, was a simple explanation of his theories for the general literate public. D.H. Willson, one of James's biographers, calls the first book "entertaining and quotable" (133) and also cites Francis Bacon as finding that it "filled the whole realm as with a good perfume or incense, being excellently written and having nothing of affectation" (166). James's comment on Bacon's Advancement of Learning was "it was like the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Ashton 142). James also wrote some rather moving "Meditations on the Lord's Prayer" and a justly famous essay, " A Counterblast to Tobacco " (1604), one of the first, and surely one of the best attacks on smoking ever written.

Smoking, James tells us, is "a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless." James's interest in literature was tied in with a shrewd sense of propaganda. He realised that books, masques, sermons, and plays could all be employed in the service of the king, that they were the media which could best disseminate his views of kingship and impress upon a large number of people its power and majesty. The court masque, expensive and elaborate, baroque and ritualistic, symbolised that power and majesty, and the king's physical place as the focal point of the entertainment reinforced it further. Thus James and Queen Anne patronised Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones, the great architect and designer of the sets for Jonson's masques. The publication of sermons, also, was of particular interest to the theologically-minded king, and his personal encouragement of the church career of John Donne , whom James appointed Dean of St.

Paul's Cathedral, was no accident, for Donne was a staunch supporter of kingly power and majesty, and often preached before the King himself, as did his eminent colleague Lancelot Andrewes , another of James's favourite divines. James's political accomplishments (or lack thereof) as King do not concern us here, but suffice it to say that he has had a mixed reception from historians. Most agree that he was a success in Scotland but a partial failure in England, although recently his English kingship has undergone massive studies by Conrad Russell and others which have tended to show James in a much more favourable light. For example, he consistently strove for peace both at home and abroad, with varying success, but was determined never to go to war if it could be helped. James I's impact on English literature is considerable, not least because of his encouragement of and participation in the translation of the Bible into English (1611), the translation that many people still consider the best, and which bears his name, the King James Bible . That, above everything he wrote, is James's monument, but his literary works deserve some credit, and he is always a pleasure to read.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY King James I of England, (VI of Scotland) King James I of England (VI of Scotland) INTERESTING FACTS King James I was a Christian who wanted the Bible in the hands of the common man. Specially commanded the Authorized (King James) Version of 1611 of the Bible . King James was known for his wisdom. He was known as "Great Britain's Solomon" while he was yet alive. Fluent in Greek, Latin, French, English, and his native Scots. Schooled in Italian and Spanish. Wrote extensively including Basilicon Doron (the Kingly Gift), Daemonologie , and tracts on varied subjects such as "Counterblaste to Tobacco" which condemned the use of tobacco. Counterblaste is considered the first anti-smoking tract. These and many other writings are found in The Workes of the Most High and Mightie Prince Iames (in Jacobean typography, the letter "I" can represent I or J), a massive collection of the king's writings now online. In The Workes, one finds that King James was a contender for the faith of Jesus Christ and cared about the spiritual well-being of his kingdom.

He even wrote Christian meditations for his people. His writings are still relevant today-- King James has a message that Rome does not want you to hear . William Shakespere was one of his subjects. Learning and writing thrived under the King's reign. Formed the foundation for what is now known as the British Empire by uniting warring tribes of Scotland and then enjoining the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603. He was the first to call his new kingdom, "Great Britain" . King James was became King of Scotland in 1567 when he was 13 months old and acceded to the English throne in 1603. Scottish reformation leader John Knox read the sermon when he was crowned King. He endured racism as a Scot ruling over the English, nevertheless had the love and admiration of many subjects. Years after his death, detractors tried to sully his good name. Unfortunately, it continues today, yet KJV translators, yea the King himself had predicted such. King James was sickly having crippling arthritis, weak limbs, abdominal colic, gout, and a number of other chronic illnesses. He also had physical handicaps which affected his legs and tongue.

Coupled with numerous attempts on his life, he required constant attention and watchcare. His mother was Mary Queen of Scots who was deposed in 1567 and executed in 1587 after 19 years in prison. His father, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1567. Roman Catholic clerics tried to kill him more than once. The King was born during the time of the Reformation and well knew popery's atrocities. In 1536, popery burned William Tyndale to death for distributing the Bible and it was MUCH displeased with King James' authorization of a Bible in English (see translator's notes ). Roman Catholic Nicolo Molin, an Ambassador said this of King James: "...He is a Protestant...The king tries to extend his Protestant religion to the whole island. The King is a bitter enemy of our religion (Roman Catholic)...He frequently speaks of it in terms of contempt.

He is all the harsher because of this last conspiracy (Gun Powder Plot) against his life...He understood that the Jesuits had a hand in it." King James said this in Basilicon Doron: "I am no papist as I said before...Now faith...is the free gift of God (as Paul sayeth). It must be nourished by prayer, which is no thing else but a friendly talking to God. Use oft to pray when ye are quiet, especially in your bed..." He led a chaste life. Sir Henry Wotton (June 1602) said this of King James: "There appears a certain natural goodness verging on modesty...He wears short hair...among his good qualities none shines more brightly than the chastness of his life, which he has preserved without stain down to the present time. Contrary to the example of almost all his ancestors, who disturbed the kingdom with the great number of bastards which they left." F.A.

Inderwick wrote in 1891: "James had a reputation for learning , for piety, for good nature, and for liberality." In 1603, Sir Roger Wilbaham wrote: "The King is of sharpest wit and invention...of the sweetest most pleasant and best nature that I ever knew, desiring nor affecting anything but true honor." King James loved literature and wrote extensively including the Basilicon Doron which contains instructions to his son on how to live and be a just king. King James' advice to his son concerning chastity: "Keep your body clean and unpolluted while you give it to your wife whom to only it belongs for how can you justly crave to be joined with a Virgin if your body be polluted? Why should the one half be clean, and the other defiled?

And suppose I know, fornication is thought but a veniall sin by the most part of the world, yet remember well what I said to you in my first book regarding conscience, and count every sin a breach of God's law, not according as the vain world esteems of it, but as God judge and maker of the law accounts of the same: hear God commanding by the mouth of Paul to abstain from fornication, declaring that the fornicator shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven, and by the mouth of John reckoning out fornication among other grievous sins that declares the commiters among dogs and swine." Advice to his son on how to treat his wife. "And for your behavior to your wife, the Scripture can best give you counsel therein. Treat her as your own flesh, command her as her lord, cherish her as your helper, rule her as your pupil, please her in all things reasonable, but teach her not to be curious in things that belong not to her.

You are the head, she is your body, it is your office to command and hers to obey, but yet with such a sweet harmony as she should be as ready to obey as you to command, as willing to follow as you to go before, your love being wholly knit unto her, and all her affections lovingly bent to follow your will." King James loved his wife, Queen Anne, and wrote beautifully of her. They had nine children together . Once, while out hunting, Queen Anne mistakenly killed King James' favorite dog. Sir Dudley Carleton wrote in 1613: The queen shooting a deer mistook her mark and killed Jewel, the King's most special and favourite hound; at which he stormed exceedingly awhile; but after he knew who did it he was soon pacified and with much kindness wished her not to be troubled with it for he should love her never the worse; and the next day sent her a diamond worth �2000 as a legacy from his dead dog....The Queen by her late pacification hath gained Greenwich. King James is the founding monarch of the United States. Under his reign, we have the first successful colonies planted on the American mainland--Virginia, Massachsetts and Nova Scotia.

King James ordered, wrote and authorized this Evangelistic Grant Charter to settle the Colony of Virginia: "To make habitation...and to deduce a colony of sundry of our people into that part of America, commonly called Virginia...in propogating of Christian religion to such people as yet live in darkness...to bring a settled and quiet government." Where the word of a king is, there is power. Ecclesiastes 8:4 James I | king of England and Scotland | Britannica.com king of England and Scotland Written By: King of England and Scotland Also known as Sir James Douglas James I, (born June 19, 1566, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland—died March 27, 1625, Theobalds, Hertfordshire, England), king of Scotland (as James VI) from 1567 to 1625 and first Stuart king of England from 1603 to 1625, who styled himself “king of Great Britain.” James was a strong advocate of royal absolutism, and his conflicts with an increasingly self-assertive Parliament set the stage for the rebellion against his successor, Charles I.

James I, oil on canvas by Daniel Mytens, 1621; in the National Portrait Gallery, London. Photos.com/Jupiterimages James was the only son of Mary , Queen of Scots, and her second husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. Eight months after James’s birth his father died when his house was destroyed by an explosion. After her third marriage, to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Mary was defeated by rebel Scottish lords and abdicated the throne. James, one year old, became king of Scotland on July 24, 1567; Mary left the kingdom on May 16, 1568, and never saw her son again. During his minority James was surrounded by a small band of the great Scottish lords, from whom emerged the four successive regents, the earls of Moray, Lennox, Mar, and Morton. There did not exist in Scotland the great gulf between rulers and ruled that separated the Tudors and their subjects in England. For nine generations the Stuarts had in fact been merely the ruling family among many equals, and James all his life retained a feeling for those of the great Scottish lords who gained his confidence.

United Kingdom: James I (1603–25) 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. James’s education aroused in him literary ambitions rarely found in princes but which also tended to make him a pedant . Before James was 12 he had taken the government nominally into his own hands when the Earl of Morton was driven from the regency in 1578. For several years more, however, James remained the puppet of contending intriguers and faction leaders. After falling under the influence of the Duke of Lennox, a Roman Catholic who schemed to win back Scotland for the imprisoned Queen Mary, James was kidnapped by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie , in 1582 and was forced to denounce Lennox. The following year James escaped from his Protestant captors and began to pursue his own policies as king.

His chief purposes were to escape from subservience to Scottish factions and to establish his claim to succeed the childless Elizabeth I upon the throne of England. Realizing that more was to be gained by cultivating Elizabeth’s goodwill than by allying himself with her enemies, James in 1585–86 concluded an alliance with England. Thenceforward, in his own unsteady fashion, he remained true to this policy, and even Elizabeth’s execution of his mother in 1587 drew from him only formal protests. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent In 1589 James was married to Anne , the daughter of Frederick II of Denmark, who, in 1594, gave birth to their first son, Prince Henry. James’s rule of Scotland was basically successful. He was able to play off Protestant and Roman Catholic factions of Scottish nobles against each other, and through a group of commissioners known as the Octavians (1596–97), he was able to rule Scotland almost as absolutely as Elizabeth ruled England.

The king was a convinced Presbyterian , but in 1584 he secured a series of acts that made him the head of the Presbyterian church in Scotland , with the power to appoint the church’s bishops. Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? When James at length succeeded to the English throne on the death of Elizabeth I (March 24, 1603), he was already, as he told the English Parliament, “an old and experienced king” and one with a clearly defined theory of royal government. Unfortunately, neither his experience nor his theory equipped him to solve the new problems facing him; and he lacked the qualities of mind and character to supply the deficiency. James hardly understood the rights or the temper of the English Parliament, and he thus came into conflict with it. He had little contact with the English middle classes, and he suffered from the narrowness of his horizons. His 22-year-long reign over England was to prove almost as unfortunate for the Stuart dynasty as his years before 1603 had been fortunate. James I, painting attributed to John de Critz, c. 1620; in the National Maritime Museum, … Courtesy of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Eng.

Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies There was admittedly much that was sensible in his policies, and the opening years of his reign as king of Great Britain were a time of material prosperity for both England and Scotland. For one thing, he established peace by speedily ending England’s war with Spain in 1604. But the true test of his statesmanship lay in his handling of Parliament, which was claiming ever-wider rights to criticize and shape public policy. Moreover, Parliament’s established monopoly of granting taxes made its assent necessary for the improvement of the crown’s finances, which had been seriously undermined by the expense of the long war with Spain. James, who had so successfully divided and corrupted Scottish assemblies, never mastered the subtler art of managing an English Parliament. He kept few privy councillors in the House of Commons and thus allowed independent members there to seize the initiative . Moreover, his lavish creations of new peers and, later in his reign, his subservience to various recently ennobled favourites loosened his hold upon the House of Lords .

His fondness for lecturing both houses of Parliament about his royal prerogatives offended them and drew forth such counterclaims as the Apology of the Commons (1604). To parliamentary statesmen used to Tudor dignity, James’s shambling gait, restless garrulity, and dribbling mouth ill-befitted his exalted claims to power and privilege. When Parliament refused to grant him a special fund to pay for his extravagances, James placed new customs duties on merchants without Parliament’s consent, thereby threatening its control of governmental finance. Moreover, by getting the law courts to proclaim these actions as law (1608) after Parliament had refused to enact them, James struck at the houses’ legislative supremacy. In four years of peace, James practically doubled the debt left by Elizabeth, and it was hardly surprising that when his chief minister, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury , tried in 1610–11 to exchange the king’s feudal revenues for a fixed annual sum from Parliament, the negotiations over this so-called Great Contract came to nothing. James dissolved Parliament in 1611.

Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The abortive Great Contract, and the death of Cecil in 1612, marked the turning point of James’s reign; he was never to have another chief minister who was so experienced and so powerful. During the ensuing 10 years the king summoned only the brief Addled Parliament of 1614. Deprived of parliamentary grants, the crown was forced to adopt unpopular expedients, such as the sale of monopolies, to raise funds. Moreover, during these years the king succumbed to the influence of the incompetent Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset. Carr was succeeded as the king’s favourite by George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham , who showed more ability as chief minister but who was even more hated for his arrogance and his monopoly of royal favour. In his later years the king’s judgment faltered. He embarked on a foreign policy that fused discontent into a formidable opposition. The king felt a sympathy, which his countrymen found inexplicable, for the Spanish ambassador, Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar .

When Sir Walter Raleigh , who had gone to Guiana in search of gold, came into conflict with the Spaniards, who were then at peace with England, Gondomar persuaded James to have Raleigh beheaded. With Gondomar’s encouragement, James developed a plan to marry his second son and heir Charles to a Spanish princess, along with a concurrent plan to join with Spain in mediating the Thirty Years’ War in Germany. The plan, though plausible in the abstract, showed an astonishing disregard for English public opinion, which solidly supported James’s son-in-law, Frederick, the Protestant elector of the Palatinate, whose lands were then occupied by Spain. When James called a third Parliament in 1621 to raise funds for his designs, that body was bitterly critical of his attempts to ally England with Spain. James in a fury tore the record of the offending Protestations from the House of Commons’ journal and dissolved the Parliament. The Duke of Buckingham had begun in enmity with Prince Charles, who became the heir when his brother Prince Henry died in 1612, but in the course of time the two formed an alliance from which the king was quite excluded.

James was now aging rapidly, and in the last 18 months of his reign he, in effect, exercised no power; Charles and Buckingham decided most issues. James died at his favourite country residence, Theobalds, in Hertfordshire. Trending Topics Eyjafjallajökull volcano Besides the political problems that he bequeathed to his son Charles, James left a body of writings which, though of mediocre quality as literature, entitle him to a unique place among English kings since the time of Alfred. Chief among these writings are two political treatises , The True Lawe of Free Monarchies (1598) and Basilikon Doron (1599), in which he expounded his own views on the divine right of kings . The 1616 edition of The Political Works of James I was edited by Charles Howard McIlwain (1918). The Poems of James VI of Scotland, 2 vol., were edited by James Craigie (1955–58). In addition, James famously oversaw a new authorized English translation of the Bible, published in 1611, which became known as the King James Version .

King James VI of Scotland | Britroyals Name: King James VI of Scotland Father: Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley Mother: Mary Queen of Scots Relation to Elizabeth II: 9th great-grandfather House of: Stuart Born: June 19, 1566 at Edinburgh Castle Ascended to the throne: July 24, 1567 aged 1 years Crowned: July 29, 1567 at Church of Holy Rude, Stirling, and King of England on July 25, 1603 at Westminster Abbey Married: Anne of Denmark, November 24, 1589 Children: Three sons and five daughters, of whom three survived infancy; Henry, Elizabeth and Charles Died: March 27, 1625, at Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire, aged 58 years, 9 months, and 7 days Buried at: Westminster Abbey, London Succeeded by: his son Charles King of Scotland from 1567 and England (as James I) from 1603.

The son of Mary Queen of Scots and her second husband, Lord Darnley, he succeeded to the Scottish throne on the enforced abdication of his mother and assumed power in 1583. He established a strong centralized authority, and in 1589 married Anne of Denmark (1574�1619). As successor to Elizabeth I in England, he alienated the Puritans by his High Church views and Parliament by his assertion of divine right, and was generally unpopular because of his favourites, such as Buckingham, and his schemes for an alliance with Spain. He was succeeded by his son Charles I. As king of Scotland, he curbed the power of the nobility, although his attempts to limit the authority of the Kirk (Church of Scotland) were less successful. Upon his accession to the English throne on the death of Elizabeth I, James acted mainly upon the advice of Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, but on the latter's death all restraint vanished. His religious policy consisted of asserting the supreme authority of the crown and suppressing both Puritans and Catholics who objected. The preparation of the Authorized Version of the Bible in English, published in 1611, was ordered by James.

He thwarted Guy Fawkes's plot to blow up Parliament during its opening in 1605. The gunpowder plot, with its anti-Catholic reaction, gave James a temporary popularity which soon dissipated. His foreign policy, aimed primarily at achieving closer relations with Spain, was also disliked. James's childhood and adolescence were unhappy, abnormal, and precarious; he had various guardians, whose treatment of him differed widely. His education, although thorough, was weighted with Presbyterian and Calvinist political doctrine, and his character � highly intelligent and sensitive, but also fundamentally shallow, vain, and exhibitionist � reacted violently to this. His political philosophy turned to the theory of the divine right of kings, in striking contrast to the practical experiences of his childhood. He also sought solace with extravagant and unsavoury male favourites who, in later years, were to have a damaging effect on his prestige and state affairs. His economic opportunism, with its disastrous effects on commerce, alienated city interests. Puritan influence and political awareness were increasing fast among the rural landowners, whose influence James never appreciated. His willingness to compromise politically, even while continuing to talk in terms of absolutism, largely accounts for the superficial stability of his reign.

However, the effects of many of his actions were long term, becoming fully obvious only after his death. The marriage of James's daughter Elizabeth to Frederic V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, was to result in the eventual Hanoverian succession to the British throne. Timeline for King James VI of Scotland Year

Question: Who was the mother of King James I of England?
Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots