2A
AQA A-LEVEL HISTORY (7042)
HIS1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603-1702
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SECTION ONE Monarchs and Parliaments, 1603-1629
Topic 2 James I and Charles I: character, court and favourites
Key Question A: Did the character, court and favourites of James I make him a suitable King?
The character of James I:
Despite a traumatic childhood, James was an intellectual and outgoing monarch who could engage with people effectively.
James I’s views on monarchy
James believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings. In his treatise The True Law of Free Monarchies, written in 1598, he had made a number of claims setting out his position:
God places Kings on the throne, so monarchs should therefore be able to wield unrestrained power;
Kings are able to act above the law and are not subject to normal judicial procedures;
Parliament was not a core element of the political system, but should only exist to serve the monarch when required.
Such views were very much in-keeping with the beliefs of most other monarchs of the early modern period. Indeed, at the start of the 17th century, they were widely shared by the vast majority of the Political Nation as well. But James was also pragmatic enough to seek compromise when he found himself at odds with his subjects. Thus, for the most part, he was capable of making the ill-defined English political system function effectively
James I’s Court and Favourites
The different aspects of James’s personality were exhibited in his Royal Court. During his reign, the Court was an open and lively place where leading members of the Political Nation were permitted regular contact with the monarch. The King’s intellectual interests were also emphasised, particularly in his patronage of Shakespeare. At the same time, however, the openness with which James conducted relations led to criticism about immorality at the centre of government. Three particular concerns became the subject of great controversy:
1. Over-extravagance – James was a reckless spender of the royal finances. This is best exemplified by the famous ante-suppers that were held at Court (one infamous banquet in 1621 cost the Crown £3,300).
2. Corruption – in addition to the over-use of patronage, a famous trial that followed the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury in 1616 brought allegations of great scandals at Court being caused by jealous rivalries between members of the Political Nation. Overbury had opposed an affair which his close associate and the royal favourite, Robert Carr, had begun with Frances Howard, the Countess of Essex and a leading member of one the most prestigious noble families in England. Howard manipulated Overbury into being seemingly disrespectful to the Queen, Anne of Denmark, and James had him thrown in the Tower of London, where he died in mysterious circumstances. Persistent rumours of poisoning with the King’s approval necessitated a trial, in which several high-ranking nobles were found guilty of conspiring against Overbury, who was seen as a dangerous threat because of his intimate knowledge of the affair. Carr and Howard’s initial death sentence was later rescinded, but they lost their privileged positions at Court.
3. Reliance on Favourites – the main source of tension at Court was the dominance of the Scottish advisers that James had brought with him from Edinburgh when he became King of England in 1603. Although the English elite still held the majority of prestigious offices of state, they soon became concerned about the influence that Scots could wield through their direct access to the King as his principal attendants in the Bedchamber.
Later in his reign, James became infatuated with two men who came to dominate his affection and his patronage, much to the displeasure of the rest of the Court and Political Nation.
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset: In 1607, Carr (then a minor Scottish courtier) happened to break his leg at a tilting match, at which James was in attendance. The King instantly fell in love with the young man, even helping to nurse him back to health. Carr was swiftly knighted and taken into favour. He received lands that had been confiscated from Sir Walter Raleigh after the latter had disobeyed royal orders not to attack Spanish shipping in the Americas. As Raleigh was still a popular hero for his part in repelling a possible Spanish invasion of England during the Anglo-Spanish War (1584-1604), this move attracted much criticism from the Political Nation. Carr's influence became such that in 1610, he was instrumental in persuading the King to dissolve Parliament after MPs began to express concern about the influence of Scottish favourites. In the ensuing years, he was showered with more gifts, was created Viscount Rochester, Lord Chamberlain and given a seat on the Privy Council. Eventually, in 1615, he was replaced in James’s affections as a result of his association to the Overbury Scandal.
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham: The Villiers family were sheep farmers of only minor gentry status, until the charm and good looks of George swept him to the position of second most powerful man in the country after the King. Villiers had been deliberately introduced to James in 1613 by courtiers keen to undermine Robert Carr. Knighted the following year, Villiers became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 1615 and was soon writing James private letters of admiration that secured his status as new royal favourite. A rapid ascendency followed: Villiers was made Viscount in 1616, Earl in 1617 and Duke in 1623. Such a meteoric rise, not to mention the manner of his influence, incensed the older, established nobility, who were further antagonised by Buckingham’s tendency to sell titles to his extended family and friends, which further consolidated his wealth and power at Court. Buckingham may have helped to relieve some of the burdens of government from the King in his later years, but he personified the problems inherent in a personal monarchy by bringing the Crown into disrepute as a result of both the nature and the extent of his influence.