James I Personality and character.

Why did James had favourites?

James had a reliance on favourites as he had a need for companionship causing many to manipulate this for their own actions.

Robert Carr : Favourites (1607-13)

• Rose rapidly through royal affection

• Created the Earl of Summerset

• Involved in many Scandals (Overbury murders 1615)

• Damaged James reputation —> Seen to the people as promoting corruption and self-sewing merit

George Villers : Favourites (1615-25)

• Seen as young charismatic —> Became James’s closest companion.

• Advanced rapidly: Knighted in 1615 —Duke 1623

• Central in policy influence —> Spanish Match negotiations (Foreign affairs shift.)

• Unpopular in parliament

• James open affection to him caused rumours

James 1 Royal court : Style of Court

• Seen as extravagant and disorganised compared to the Elizabethan’s

• Heavy spending on entertainment which contributed to finical tensions

• Reputation for being a drunkard and corruption continued from the Elizabethan image.

• Heavy division between English elite and Scottish breeding resentment

• Commissioned the King James Bible (1611)

James 1:Family

• Married Anne of Denmark - political active at times involved in cultural patronage. Her relationship with James was distant and she had her own faction.

• Charles I - Became closer to his 2nd son later in his reign.He also grew a close bond with Buckingham and learned politics under James reign. Participated in the failed Spanish Match.

James Personality

• Became King of Eng;and in 1603

• Was James v1 of Scotland since the age of 13.

• Seen as intellectual and pragmatic especially on religious issues.

• Raised as a protestant under regents

James Monarchy

• Belief in the Devine right - Outlined in his work The law of free monarchies the kings Devine power was directly from God accountable to him alone.

• Saw parliament as a constitutive body not as co-rulers

• Tension caused by English MPs were sensitive to signs of absolutism.

• Pragmatism