James I

19 June 1566 - 27 March 1622. James VI King of Scots 1567-1625. James I King of England 1603-1625.

As the son of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, James became King of Scots on 19 July 1567 at the age of 13 months. When Elizabeth I died childless in 1603, James succeeded her on the English throne as James I of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 25 July 1603 becoming the first Stuart King to unite the English and the Scottish Crowns. His attempt to unite the governments, however, was not successful.

Married Anne of Denmark in 1589 and had eight children with her, of whom only three survived infancy. Succeeded by his second son Charles. Mixed reception in historiography: on the one hand intellectual and interested in philosophy, on the other hand promoter of the divine right of kings, favoritism, persecution of witches and smokers.

Sources

• "King James I (1603 - 1625)." Britroyals, http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=james1, accessed 4 May 2010.
• "James I (r. 1603-1625)." royal.uk, https://www.royal.uk/james-i, accessed 4 May 2010.