| James I of England (James VI of Scotland):
James became King of England on March 24,1603 at about eleven o'clock A.M.
He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots,but was a protestant Protestant,
he was tolerant by nature but a firm believer in the Divine Right of Kings.
He has been characterized as "unpopular, filthy of person, homosexual,devious
and a Scot." He supported the Essex rebellion which involved many members
of the Gunpowder Plot yet, he praised Elizabeth for the execution of his
mother. James promised tolerance to win the favor of important Catholics
at court but he did not follow through. His father,Lord Darnley, was killed
by a gunpowder explosion years before at Kirk o' Field and the memory of
this event conditioned his response to the plot. James believed strongly
in horoscopes and was interested in religion. He had three children- Elizabeth,
age 10 during plot whom Fawkes revealed was to be proclaimed queen by the
plotters; Charles, Duke of York, was too well guarded in London for the
plotters to seize; and Henry, Prince of Wales, the oldest of the three
who was to be killed with his father in the blast. James spoke English
perfectly and also knew Latin, French and Italian. James was hardened
to politics by his violent upbringing in Scotland. For more on James I
including genealogy see
this
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