We all know the story of the last Tudor monarch, Queen Elizabeth I, who often viewed herself as a female king and who remained a virgin for her entire life. With her death, the Tudor dynasty ended, and a brand new dynasty made its mark on English history. It was a dynasty in England that the son of Elizabeth started I’s rival, Mary Queen of Scots, King James VI of Scotland. King James was not just a king, but a man in love with numerous lovers, and when he fell in love, he fell hard. Gareth Russell explores the life of King James VI/I, who ruled two nations while searching for true love in his latest book, “Queen James: A New History About the Life and Loves of Britain’s First King, James Stuart.”
I am a big fan of Gareth Russell’s books, and so when I heard that he was writing a new biography, I jumped at the chance to read it. I didn’t know much about King James VI/I, especially when it comes to his reign in England or his love life, so I was excited to learn more. Plus, I liked the title of this particular edition of this book.
Like any good biography, we have to start at the beginning, or in James’ case, when his mother was still pregnant with him. Even before he was born, some wanted to see James dead, including those who killed David Riccio in front of his mother, Mary Queen of Scots. James would never know his father, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, as he was killed at Kirk O’Field when James was very young. Mary Queen of Scots would flee to England, making James King of Scotland. James was raised to be a Protestant king who would navigate plenty of plots against his life. He was not interested in marriage, but he would marry Anna of Denmark, a vivacious queen who brought her love of theater and arts to James’ life, as well as Catholicism and seven children, including Charles I and Elizabeth Stuart, “The Winter Queen” of Bohemia.
When Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, James took the opportunity and became King of England. James had to deal with the affairs of two nations, try to come up with a brand new translation of the Bible, as well as the witch hunts that were becoming more prevalent during this time. Add to James’ troubles were European politics and the constant fighting between Catholics and Protestants, and you start to understand why he relied so heavily on his favorites, specifically Alexander “Sandy” Lindsay, Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, and George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. James’s favorites were his lovers, and they provided him with the love that he was looking for all of his life.
No one writes nonfiction the way Gareth Russell does with such care and an engaging writing style. This is another triumph as he shows that although there were rivalries in love, plots a plenty, and religious ruckus, at the heart of the Jacobean reign was a complex man who had his heart on his sleeve and fell in love quickly and hard. If you want a fabulous biography about a king and the ones he loved the most, I highly recommend you read “Queen James: A New History About the Life and Loves of Britain’s First King, James Stuart” by Gareth Russell.
Women rulers in the past have either been praised or pushed down. They are either seen as ideal women or power-hungry villains. One such figure who suffered the worst from having her image raked through the mud for centuries was Mary Stuart, known throughout history as Mary, Queen of Scots. The Queen of Scotland who was married three times, was once the Queen of France, the mother of the future King of both England and Scotland, accused of having a hand in her second husband’s murder, plotted to overthrow Elizabeth I, and was executed for treason. Her story is well known, but what does the archival information tell us about Mary Stuart? John Guy scoured the archives to find the truth about this queen and presented his research in his biography, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.”
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 