James I: character, court and his favourites Flashcards
when did James become King of England?
24 March 1603
when did James I die?
27 March 1625
what was James’ personality like?
- king of Scotland since 1567 (at age of 13 months) so already an experienced monarch
- intellectual, outgoing man who enjoyed debate and communicating with people
- he was pragmatic
how was Charles I very different from his father James I?
- the product of a loving, pampered background
- liked art but not a scholar and was intellectually inflexible
- tested the limits of his power against Parliament time and time again
- deliberately provoked controversy
- shy and hampered by a speech defect
- unapproachable and more damaging, uncommunicative with Parliament
- had none of James’ political shrewdness or flexibility so unwilling to compromise
what negativity was there about James’ personality?
- earliest detractors included resentful courtier Sir Anthony Weldon
- disappointed at lack of patronage + promotion + anti-Scottish sentiments -> depicted his sovereign as a slobbery, drunken, unhygienic sexual degenerate
- Weldon famously called James ‘the wisest fool in Christendom’
- traditional view survived well into 20th century
- only in 1970s historians started looking afresh at James’ reign -> found a great deal of evidence in his favour
what were James’ personal characteristics?
- lazy
- some say his court was corrupt and ‘seedy’: he openly displayed affection for male favourites -> active bisexual
- liked to feast and drink in excess
- criticised as drunken, immoral, debauched
- an incorrigible spender - esp to Scottish favourites
- financially extravagant and plainly spendthrift
- warm, informal, affectionate and a good father to his children
- prone to lecturing Parliament on his divine rights which antagonised MPs
what was James’ view on the monarchy?
- pragmatic when dealing with ambiguity of the balance between royal prerogative and parliamentary privilege in the unwritten constitution
- able to distinguish between the theory and practicalities of ruling
- saw himself as a ‘peacemaker king’ in his foreign policy
- sought compromise + negotiation with PN in England while defending his prerogative
what was the nature of the royal court in the personal monarchy of the Stuart Age?
royal court was centre of power and the physical manifestation of character and kingship of the monarch
what was the court of James I like?
- exhibited diff aspects of his personality
- open and lively place that reflected king’s enjoyment of life
- at extreme, criticised as drunken, immoral and debauched
- this arrangement could lead to in-fighting and competition over the king’s patronage between rival interests
- these competing groups often formed factions when they sought the favour of James
what were the influences on James?
- Scotland had no Parliament in English sense -> met only for a few days at a time and under control of royal councillors
- James learnt to regard its one truly representative institution, the Kirk, as the chief enemy of royal power
- James was a genuine intellectual but reared in an atmosphere of theological pedantry by Calvinist tutors -> given him a propensity to over-theorise about his position and expectations
- came from a very poor country and inclined upon arrival to England to regard its resources as unbounded (which werent)
- became King of Scotland as a baby, amidst domestic turmoil and after the deposition of his Catholic mother -> developed cautious, sometimes fearful disposition
how was Parliament divided into two houses?
- the great landowners, backed by bishops, sat in the Lords
- the country gentry, merchants, lawyers and financiers drawn from the towns, sat in the Commons
what role did Parliament play?
- a point of contact between the monarch and the ruled, providing a platform from which to explain royal policies
- it provided a forum in which the political nation could gather and make its views known to the Crown
what did landlords compete for and what political issues arised?
- competed with each other for influence with the King at court
- formed different factions at court
- good system for king: members of political nation preoccupied with fighting each other for spoils rather than opposing him
what were the problems with court factions?
- factions gain influence by having their members gain access to the King
- James often had favourites: individuals who monopolise access to him
- certain factions gain excessive influence -> have James’ favourites -> causes problems
- king needed to keep factions competing with each other rather than against him
- needed to balance them: give competing factions power at diff times to encourage their competition with each other
how did the Court allow the king to secure the allegiance and cooperation of the landlords?
- the King distributed patronage to people in PN usually taking form of titles and land
-> individuals he distributes lots of patronage to become favourites - landlords try to gain access to King by going to court, the King’s extended household
-> can get help from King and those around him, gain influence over him etc
how did the king need to organise the court so this system worked?
- patronage needs to be distributed evenly -> if many landlords are excluded, getting no patronage, the king wont secure their support and cooperation
- this is why favourites can be a problem -> other landlords resent them
- Court has to be open to the PN and open to all factions
-monarch needs to balance all factions - by keeping the Court open, James maintained personal relationships he needed with PN to be a successful king and was generous with his patronage
how did favourites under James I provoke concern about their influence?
- as men, were in a position to have an open political role and monarch allowed them to
- favour seen as an example of king’s debauched lifestyle and immoral court
how did James have the potential to be a good early modern king?
- james inherited a stable system of gov in which royal power was accepted across the kingdom
- because he had children, the anxiety about the succession that had plagued the Tudor rule had vanished
also inherited some contentious issues (religious rivalry, financial problems) - relationship between the King and Parliament would be paramount to ensuring he enjoyed a successful reign
how did intimate access to the king get you closer to the king?
- The Gentlemen of the Bedchamber provided close attendance on the Kine -> potentially powerful position
- Two of James’ favs: Robert Carr (Earl of Somerset) and George Villiers (later Duke of Buckingham)
- both used their positions to advance their factions
who was George Villiers?
- appointed a Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 1615
- 1618: created Earl of Buckingham
- 1623: travelled to Spain with Charles then created a duke
- by 1625, had a monopoly over patronage
how was George Villiers a cause for tension?
- Duke of Buckingham whose prominence at court was a major source of political tension between 1618-28
- early dominance of the bedchamber by Scots was a source of tension -> concerned about the influence Scots could wield through their access to James.
what was the relationship between James and Buckingham and Charles and Buckingham?
- based on personal affection
- Buckingham maintained his position as favourite when Charles became king in 1625 despite initial difficult relations during James’ reign
What is a good main argument for James’ character?
James’ personal style as a monarch invited intense criticism from the supposedly amoral debauchery that he engaged in. Nonetheless, that same flexibility and open-mindedness enabled James to ensure most dominant groups were kept satisfied and had some connection to power
