The Scottish King of England
A
Of all
those to ascend the British throne, perhaps none was so historically
significant as King James I. Born in line to the Scottish throne in 1566 to
Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry, Lord Darnley, James was crowned king of
Scotland at 13 months old. But not only was he an heir to the Scottish throne,
but also one of the strongest contenders to succeed Elizabeth I in England
because of his great-grandmother Margaret Tudor, who was the granddaughter of
Elizabeth Woodville. Also known as the White Queen, James’s great-grandmother
was the sister of Henry VIII of England and an aunt to Elizabeth I.
For this
reason, he was hailed at his baptism at Stirling castle as “Little Arthur” and
forecasted to be the future king of a unified Britain. Harking back to the legend
of King Arthur, the Scottish people had great hopes that James would unite
their kingdom with England and return the region to prosperity and peace. The
pressure placed on James was further compounded by his mother’s incompetency as
queen and her likely role in the death of his father, Darnley. Mary was deposed
by the Scottish lords in 1567, and journeyed to England in search of protective
custody by the English crown. She was put in prison and executed some twenty
years later.
King
James VI of Scotland consequently carried the heavy responsibility of bringing
a good name back to the Scottish throne. For 35 year he ruled as king of his
country in a reign that was widely regarded as a success. Thus when Elizabeth I
died childless on March 26, 1603, many, especially nobility, were happy to
learn that King James VI of Scotland was the rightful heir. They welcomed the
idea of a mature and experienced leader.
B
King
James departed Edinburgh for London on April 4, 1603 accompanied by Scottish
dukes, earls and lords. The trip could have been made in a matter of days, but
he took his time for a couple of reasons. First of all, he wanted to give the
English public time to mourn the loss of their queen. Arriving while the
funerals and honorariums were still taking place would have been considered
disrespectful. Secondly, the king wanted to meet his new people and establish
relationships with nobility along the way. This was especially important for
him to develop trust with those who would question his motives as Scottish
royalty.
King
James’ journey took over a month. He and his entourage followed the historic
route to London down the east coast through Newcastle, York, and Newark. He was
met with feasts, fireworks, and bonfires in villages across the kingdom, and
many historians have commented on the extensive costs of that most epic of
journeys. This was especially true considering the number of Scottish noblemen
who joined the trip with the hopes of gaining the favour of the British crown
and increasing both their wealth and stature as a result. Without question, the
demographics of the British monarchy shifted dramatically with King James I’s
ascension.
C
When he
finally arrived in London on May 7, 1603, a huge procession awaited the king.
His coronation took place on July 25, 1603 at Westminster Abbey, although
public celebrations were delayed until 1604 due to a 1603 plague that killed
nearly a quarter of London’s population. The transition of power went smoothly,
and Ireland, Scotland and England were untied under the same rule, creating the
kingdom of Great Britain. In return for the hospitality he enjoyed from
England, the king pardoned prisoners and gave out many knighthoods, many on the
advice of Scottish nobles who, according to historical accounts, were bribed
for such recommendations.
D
But
corruption in the nobility aside, King James I contributed positively to the
development of the kingdom and the continuation of the monarchy. Of his
accomplishments, he is perhaps most well known today for the commission of the
Authorised King James Bible in 1611, an extension of James’ fondness for
religiously-themed literature and his Christian devotion. James was also known
for his efforts to maintain peace in Europe, even ending the long-running war
with Spain in 1604.
There
were, however, grievances from several corners. Back in Scotland, his fellow
countrymen resented that he only returned once during 22 years of reign,
despite a promise to return at least once every three years. In addition, he
was unpopular with both protestants and Catholics, although for different
reasons. The protestants felt cut off from the king and his power, and the
Catholics were angered by unfulfilled promises to give them freedom to practice
their religion. These tensions resulted in two failed assassination attempts, but
did not deter King James I from continuing to rule until his death in 1625.