James I Stuart inherited the English throne after the death of the childless Tudor Queen Elizabeth I, at the beginning of the 17th century, in 1603. He was King James I of England and also King James VI of Scotland. The monarch was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. James I became the first joint ruler of the kingdoms of both England and Scotland.
The King was born on 19th June 1566. He was the only son of his parents. Eight months after James's birth his father died when his house was destroyed by an explosion. The boy became the King of Scotland when he was only one year old. The following year his mother left the kingdom and they never saw each other again.
The young king received a good education. Nevertheless, he was kept essentially isolated until the age of 14. James studied Greek, Latin, French, and made a good use of a library of classical and religious writings that his tutors, George Buchanan and Peter Young, assembled for him.
In 1589, the monarch was married to Anne, who was the daughter of Frederick II of Denmark. The couple had seven children: Henry, Prince of Wales; Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia; Margaret; Charles I of England; Robert; Mary and Sophia.
The accession of James I united the kingdoms of Great Britain under the rule of the Scottish dynasty, the monarch styled himself "King of Great Britain." Despite the fact that the new king was Scottish, England and Scotland remained independent states until the 18th century(except for the period of the commonwealth of England).
It is worth mentioning that James tried to rule without Parliament as much as possible. He believed in the divine right of kings: the king was chosen by God and therefore only God could judge him. The king expressed these ideas openly and that's why he had troubles with Parliament. When Elizabeth I died, she left James with a huge debt. The monarch had to ask Parliament to raise a tax to pay the debt. Parliament agreed but in return it insisted on the right to discuss the king's home and foreign policy. James didn't agree to this, so he didn't get the money.
James managed to rule the country without Parliament between 1611 and 1621, but it was only possible because Britain remained at peace. The king couldn't afford the cost of the army. In 1618, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War in Europe, Parliament wished to go to war against the Catholics, but James didn't agree. Until his death, the monarch was always quarrelling with Parliament over money and its desire to play a part in his foreign policy.
King James I is famous all over the world for his name, which is in the title of one of the most influential books of our world: The King James Bible, also known as The King James Version published in 1611. He ordered scholars to prepare a new translation of the Bible. It stayed the same for 300 years and can still be bought today.
Curiously enough, the monarch's name is also linked with another work, in which James I sets arguments against smoking ( in Stuart times people smoked using clay pipes and James hated it). However, though the king was clever and well-educated, he wasn't popular with his people.
James I was aging rapidly. It is known that in the last one and a half years of his reign he effectively exercised no power. His son Charles and also the Duke of Buckingham solved most issues. King James I of England died at his preferred country residence Theobalds in Hertfordshire, on 27th March 1625.
Interesting fact: The spelling of the ancient dynasty of Stewart was changed by Mary, Queen of Scots, during her residence in France
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