James was the only son of Mary Queen of Scots. When he was barely a year old, his mother fled to England, and he became King of Scots as James VI. In 1587, when Elizabeth I had Mary beheaded, her son became the most likely heir to the throne of England.
In 1598, he published The Trew Law of Free Monarchies, In it, despite his strict Presbyterian upbringing, he argued that a monarch is directly appointed by God and, as such, cannot be held accountable to any earthly power – a view that was remarkably like that of his great-great-uncle Henry VIII.
James was proclaimed king of England – the first of the Stuarts – within eight hours of Elizabeth's last breath on 24 March 1603. He was already an experienced ruler who, for two decades, had successfully negotiated the treacherous shoals of Scottish politics. His ambition now was to be rex pacificus – the peace-maker king.
A peace conference in London ended the war with Spain in 1604. However, extremist Catholics were dismayed that Spain had not extracted religious toleration in England as the price for peace, and now decided to act. At the beginning of November 1605, James received a tip-off, and partially through his own investigations, the Gunpowder Plot was revealed.
At the Hampton Court conference, Protestants demanded that the English Church be purged of the 'popish' elements reintroduced by Elizabeth. James refused. However, he did agree that a new version of the Bible should be produced. The King James Bible, published in 1611, was an amazing achievement that would help to create the English language.
James's most cherished ambition – the union of England and Scotland – was thwarted by the English, who objected to James's wish to rename the joint realm 'Britain'. To Parliament, a new name meant a new kingdom in which James would be free to set himself up as an absolute emperor. In contrast, Parliament would be a mere provincial assembly.
James's reaction was to try to enact the Union symbolically, using his own powers under the royal prerogative. By proclamation he assumed the title 'king of Great Britain'. He then announced a new union currency, royal coat of arms and flag.
Not content with symbols, he also practised a union by stealth by filling his bedchamber, the inner circle of his court, almost exclusively with Scots. James took a more than fatherly interest in Scots lads with well-turned legs and firm buttocks, but recruiting them also suited him politically.
James had inherited a substantial debt from Elizabeth. He also had a large family to maintain and wanted to spend money on his favourites and pleasures. The crown's 'ordinary income' from land and custom duties was hopelessly inadequate, and there was no choice but to ask Parliament for more money. But Parliament saw no reason why tax payers' money should end up in the pockets of Scots favourites.
In 1610, chief minister Robert Cecil proposed a far-reaching deal known as the Great Contract. The king would surrender feudal privileges and, in return, Parliament would grant him a regular annual income of £200,000. But James felt that it was beneath his dignity to bargain away inherited rights or prerogatives. There was no alternative but to return to the policies of Henry VII and exploit the king's fiscal rights to the full.
As long as he avoided war, James found that he could get by without Parliament and parliamentary taxation. But the price was paid in unpopularity, as exploiting the law to raise revenue smacked of extortion. And a lack of money meant that James's great project of creating a new kingdom came to nothing. He died in 1625.
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 James VI and I (1566-1625)
www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/james/
Good gateway site with lots of articles, book reviews, biographies and links to relevant studies.
Significant Scots – James VI
www.electricscotland.com/history/other/j
ames6.htm
In-depth analysis of the life and reign of James VI of Scotland and I of England.
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King James VI and I and the Reunion of Christendom by W B Patterson (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
Long regarded as inept, pedantic, and whimsical, James is shown here as an astute and far-sighted statesman whose reign was focused on achieving a permanent union between his two kingdoms and a peaceful and stable community of nations throughout Europe.
Get this book
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 Stirling Castle
At the head of Stirling's historic old town, off the M9
OS reference: NS 788941
Tel: 01786 450 000
Website: www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stirling/stirlingcastle
James was brought up primarily in Stirling Castle, high on a cliff overlooking the lowest crossing point on the River Forth. It was a strange, insecure childhood. The regents who ruled Scotland on James's behalf were murdered in succession, and the boy was more than once in danger. As a result, James grew up timorous physically but tough and resourceful as well.
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