Today in 1603 James I arrived in London, nine days after the funeral of Elizabeth I. From 1601 onwards, as it became clear that James was going to be Elizabeth’s successor, many of her court kept up a secret correspondence with James. As the Queen was dying in 1603, her chief minister, Robert Cecil, sent James a draft proclamation of his accession in early March. Elizabeth died on 24 March, and James was proclaimed king in London later on that day.
He left Edinburgh on 5 April promising to return once every three years – a promise that he did not keep. He progressed slowly through England, amazed by the wealth of his new land. He commented that he felt as if he had traded a stony couch for a deep feather bed. He arrived in London today, May 7, and was crowned in July.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com where there is an episode on the life of James I.
Suggested links:
Episode 49: Tudor Times talks about James I of England
Episode 91: James I and Witchcraft
From the shop:
Elizabeth I’s Iconic Signature Collection
Featuring: Elizabeth I Signature Tote Bag
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.