Analyzing the Reign of James I of England: Success or Failure?
James VI of Scotland, also known as James I of England, faced challenges when inheriting the English throne from Elizabeth. Despite his experience ruling Scotland, he encountered difficulties in England. Participants in a decision-making game assess James I's actions and compare them to ideal responses based on historical context and knowledge of Tudor times.
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James VI was one of the most successful Scottish monarchs, but James I was a relative failure as a ruler of England . To what extent do you agree with this view? Who was James I? James I was first known as James VI of Scotland, where he had been King since 1567 from when he was just a baby! He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was executed by Elizabeth in 1587. James was Elizabeth s closest relation. Even though Elizabeth refused to acknowledge James openly as her heir, in her letters she addressed him as 'dearest brother and cousin'. Although Elizabeth did not say who should be next on the throne after her, there was no opposition to James VI. There was equally no immediate celebration, either. The London diarist John Manningham noted that the proclamation of James as king was met with 'silent joye, noe great shouting . In 1603, James became King of England, Wales and Ireland, and so united the Scottish and English crowns for the first time. He had a lifetime of experience as King of Scotland, but he also inherited lots of problems from Elizabeth when he came to England
James VI was one of the most successful Scottish monarchs, but James I was a relative failure as a ruler of England . To what extent do you agree with this view? We will now play a decision-making game, in groups, based on the problems that James I inherited from Elizabeth. There will be six problems your team will face. You will deal with one at a time. For each problem, you can choose from four solutions (coloured red, green, orange and blue). You must make two decisions when faced with each problem: 1. What you think James SHOULD do, based on logic and your knowledge of the Tudor context 2. What you think James actually DID, based on the information you are given. There are therefore two tiles to colour: the BEST decisions for a monarch, and what you think ACTUALLY happened when James I was faced with each problem. They might match! You should use the following information to help you make your decisions: 1. The information on each problem slide 2. The information given to each group member you will have different roles and different information to share! Take a look at this now
Decision tiles Team name: __________ What James I SHOULD do What James I ACTUALLY did 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 5 6
James I: You are the King You ruled Scotland for thirty-five years, since you were just a baby! You have waited for the opportunity to be King of England for years. You have the great advantage of being a proven monarch. You have steadily gained control over the Scottish nobility, by preferring to avoid extreme actions, being flexible, and ruling by example - showing how effective you are as king. As Edinburgh steadily extended effective government into the distant Highlands and Western Islands, you have enjoyed a rising reputation in Europe. You describe yourself as an old experienced king, needing no lessons. You believe in your absolute power as monarch. This is what you said to Parliament in 1614: Monarchy is the greatest thing on Earth. Kings are rightly called gods since like God they have the power of life and death over all of their subjects. They are accountable to God only so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do. You are rather arrogant. You believe that you are capable of out- arguing almost anyone, and you believe that the English will accept you as their rightful king without question.
Problem 1: How to rule two countries by one hand? Scotland and England have never been ruled by one monarch before they have always had separate rulers. Since 1351, foreigners have been forbidden to inherit English lands, which might block James from inheriting the Crown and its estates. Also, Elizabeth never named James VI as her heir, despite the fact that he was her closest cousin. Philip II of Spain declared that his daughter, Isabella, should be queen of England instead. Consequently, political (and religious) instability might follow, if the successionisn t settled soon it may even lead to a religious civil war. What should James do? What did he do? RED: Execute anyone declaring that Philip s daughter, Isabella, should be queen. Take over London, and surround yourself with loyal English and Scottish soldiers until such time as England has been subdued. GREEN: Avoid any extreme actions. Do little other than close the ports, employ extra watchmen in London, and keep any powerful Catholics under surveillance. ORANGE: Do nothing. England will be relieved that there has been no civil war in the struggle for the crown. That is enough! Invite Isabella and Philip to dinner to settle your differences. BLUE: bring Scottish soldiers (and spies!) down through England, securing each town on your way, and arrest any Catholics. Bring them to the Tower of London and behead them, making an example of them to everyone else.
Problem 2: How to deal with parliament? The Scottish parliament worked effectively. They were nearly always deferential to the King. The English parliament, on the other hand, was poorly attended (many MPs simply never showed up to vote on whether a law should be passed), and they were much more confident when dealing with their monarch. When James first called parliament in 1604, they told him that they had only put up with the majority of Elizabeth s policies because of her old age and her sex, and that they expected a much better deal from him! What should James do? What did he do? RED: listen to parliament to begin with, and do what they say (passing laws when they want them passed, and only asking for taxes when necessary). Once you have shown yourself to be effective, start to assert your authority but only when necessary. GREEN: Close parliament immediately and rule on your own. Increase taxes without their consent. You don t need them your advisors are enough. ORANGE: do what parliament tell you, or else you risk at least a civil war (as they might get an army together to fight you), or at worst you ll risk being overthrown immediately - if they all hate you. BLUE: tell parliament that you rule by the Divine Right of Kings, and that you are answerable to God only not to any man. Don t listen to them. Close parliament if they annoy you too much or don t grant you taxes.
Problem 3: How to manage your finances? Monarchs are wealthy because they own lots of property (called Crown Lands ). The people who live on Crown Lands have to pay the monarch rent, which gives him money every month. The crown also receives money through taxes on goods (foreign countries wanting to sell goods in England such as France selling wine have to pay a tax). Monarchs can also get money from taxes, although that generally only happens during wartime. They also need to avoid getting into too much debt. Elizabeth I, in her time, spent a lot of money on foreign policy, despite being generally careful with her housekeeping. What should James do? What did he do? Red: spend as much as you like. Get money by asking Parliament for higher and higher sums in taxes. Sell titles (like Lord ), sell off some of your crown lands and sell your rights to taxes on traded goods to your friends. GREEN: spend next to nothing. Avoid expenditure on fine clothes, on the upkeep of Hampton Court Palace, and on your wife and children. Keep a close eye on finances and increase taxation immediately. ORANGE: spend only what you need, for example if you need to visit another country to improve foreign relations, then do so and don t skimp on your finery (you need to show other countries you are not weak!) but avoid spending too much on feasts or new palaces or gifts for your friends. BLUE: get crafty! To pay for your luxurious lifestyle, ask for loans from rich European countries such as France and Spain. Try to marry off your son to a rich princess (such as the Spanish Infanta, Maria). Borrow from the Scottish treasury.
Problem 4: How to deal with Religious Conflict? Elizabeth s Middle Way settled the country to some extent, but the threat of religious war always remained. This is because that, for many Puritans, her settlement wasn t Protestant enough they hated the stained glass windows that remained, and the fact that priests were allowed to wear colourful vestments. Yet Catholics wanted (just for starters) the Latin bible back, the monasteries restored, and the Pope as Head of the Church Elizabeth had to fight off not one but THREE Spanish Armadas (the last two didn t even reach English waters), and there were various Catholic plots during her reign. Puritans hoped that James I would make Elizabeth s religious settlement more Protestant. Catholics hoped for more leniency. What should James do? What does he do? RED: burn Catholic heretics who are saying Mass in public. Make an example of them by burning them in town squares. Make sure that ambassadors to France and Spain watch, so they know how you deal with heretics. GREEN: avoid extreme actions. To please Protestants, re-translate the Latin bible into English to show them that you are a Protestant and not a secret Catholic. Start negotiations with Spain to marry your son to one of the Spanish Catholic royal family. ORANGE: Employ mercenaries (soldiers who work for anyone who can pay them) from Scotland and buy cannons from abroad to kill any known Catholics. BLUE: marry your son to the Spanish Infanta, Maria, in order to keep peace with Spain (one of the reasons the public love you is because of your love of peace, not war!), and to reassure Catholics that you will not be too harsh on them.
Problem 5: How to keep the public onside? English subjects are generally impressed when a monarch wards off foreign invasion and keeps the peace in the country (any threat of civil war is taken very seriously). The populace dislike heavy taxation. As there is no television, radio or internet, and as most of the population cannot read, there is often little news to be had about the monarch and how well he or she is doing - beyond rumour and speculation. To solve this problem, Elizabeth I used to go on royal progresses , in which she would be carried into English cities during a lavish ceremony, after which there would be feasting with the local authorities, like the mayor. These are quite costly, however! Henry VIII, on the other hand, focussed on fighting in France, in order to gain back some lands that used to belong to England, and shower England in glory. Winning back lands in France would be impressive but this is even more costly! What should James do? RED: raise money and soldiers for a new invasion of France or Ireland, in order to win back lands that once belonged to the English crown GREEN: organise splendid feasts and tournaments in London, and use the opportunity to burn any Puritans or Catholics who threaten religious stability ORANGE: don t go out too much do what you want to do instead, like ride on your horse and spend time with your male friends BLUE: organise a few royal progresses a year, in different towns across the country, using the opportunity to keep in touch with your supporters.
Problem 6: The Thirty Years War This war started in 1618 and continued throughout the time that James was king, and beyond! The war went way past 1625, when James died in a hunting lodge, and on until 1648. It began when Ferdinand II, king of Bohemia, attempted to impose Roman Catholicism on all domains within the Holy Roman Empire (including much of modern day Germany). The Protestant nobles of both Bohemia and Austria rose up in rebellion. Elizabeth once supported Protestant rebels in Holland, who were fighting against the might of Catholic Spain. What should James do? RED: Immediately send soldiers to help the Protestant rebels, letting Europe know that Protestant England supports its own. Tell Parliament that you will need to raise taxes to pay for the war. GREEN: Go with an English army to help the Protestant rebels, intending to return covered in glory and riches. ORANGE: Ask your advisors (and perhaps ask Parliament) for their advice. If they give you support, then consider aiding Protestant rebels, to ensure that Protestantism is protected (England could be next ) BLUE: Stay completely out of it! Wars cost money, and are tiresome, involving lots of lengthy meetings and decisions.
And the answers are Ruling two countries Avoid any extreme actions. Do little other than close the ports, employ extra watchmen in London, and keep any powerful Catholics under surveillance. Avoid any extreme actions. Do little other than close the ports, employ extra watchmen in London, and keep any powerful Catholics under surveillance. 1 1 What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) Heavy-handedness wasn t necessary - many were relieved that the old queen had died. What James actually did This fits with James s rather lazy character, his avoidance of extreme actions, and his arrogance that the English would love and accept him. Execute anyone declaring that Philip s daughter, Isabella, should be queen. Take over London. Too incendiary! Might this make people see you as an enemy? Do nothing. Too risky! What if powerful nobles slip the net? Bring Scottish soldiers (and spies!) down through England. Too partisan! What will the English think if you use Scottish soldiers to repress them?
And the answers are Dealing with Parliament Listen to Parliament to begin with. Once you have shown yourself to be effective, start to assert your authority but Tell Parliament that you rule by the Divine Right of Kings. Close Parliament if they annoy you too much. 2 only when necessary. 2 What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) The English parliament was confident, and full of powerful men, who needed to be kept onside. That being said, you are the king and you make (most of) the rules! What James actually did This fits with James s view that monarchs were all powerful. He dissolved Parliament in 1622, after MPs criticised proposals of a marriage between his son, Charles, to Princess Maria Anna of Spain. This made Parliament frustrated. Close Parliament immediately. Too risky and unhelpful! James has worked well with the Scottish parliament. What if Parliament try to overthrow you? Do what Parliament tell you. Too weak! You are the monarch! You should work WITH parliament, at least sometimes getting what you want.
And the answers are Managing your finances Spend only what you need (e.g. to impress foreign monarchs) but never too much. Spend as much as you like. Get money by asking Parliament for higher and higher sums in taxes. 3 3 What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) This would have avoided increasing the national debt. It would also avoid being too mean and would allow you to impress other monarchs some of whom want to take over England! What James actually did This fits with James s love of luxury, and his laziness. When James became king in 1603, he described himself as being like a poor man wandering about forty years in a wilderness and barren soil, and now arrived at the land of promise. Spend as little as possible. Too mean! Other monarchs might see you (and England) as weak and ripe for invasion. You are a king act like one! Get crafty and get loans. Too risky! You don t want to be in debt to Catholic countries who are suspicious of you as a Protestant monarch.
And the answers are Dealing with religious conflict Avoid extreme actions. To please Protestants, re-translate the Latin bible into English Start negotiations with Spain about marriage. Avoid extreme actions. To please Protestants, re-translate the Latin bible into English Start negotiations with Spain about marriage. 4 4 What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) This would have pleased both Catholics and Protestants (to some extent), and choosing not to use extreme actions would avoid the kind of hatred that Bloody Mary incited. Burn Catholic heretics. Too extreme! This would make many turn against you. Use Scottish soldiers to kill Catholics. Again too extreme! You risk rebellion. Marry your son to the Spanish Infanta. You ve done nothing for the Protestants! You risk being seen as too Catholic by your loyal Protestant subjects & advisors. What James actually did This fits with James s avoidance of extreme actions, and would have appealed to James s Protestant advisors, such as Cecil.
And the answers are Getting the public onside Organise a few royal progresses a year, in different towns across the country, using the opportunity to keep Don t go out too much do what you want to do instead, like ride on your horse and spend time with your male friends. 5 in touch with your supporters5 What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) This would have done the job of ensuring that James was seen fairly regularly by the English public but also would have sensibly avoided too much expense. What James actually did This fits with James s laziness and selfishness. On one occasion when told by a courtier that the public wanted to see him, James replied God s wounds! I will pull down my breeches and they shall see my arse! A new invasion of France/Ireland. Too expensive! You don t have the money. Organise splendid feasts and tournaments in London. Too expensive! Too local ! This is a waste of money, and people outside of London (i.e. the majority of the public) live outside London anyway.
And the answers are Whether to go to war Ask your advisors (and perhaps ask Parliament) for their advice. If they give you support, then consider aiding Protestant rebels. Stay completely out of it! Wars cost money, and are tiresome, involving lots of lengthy meetings and decisions. 6 6 What James actually did This (again!) fits with James s rather lazy temperament, and with his history as ruler of Scotland he avoided war for years there, too. It wasn t a bad decision on the whole, though. Wars ARE expensive! What James perhaps should have done (WARNING!) This would have kept Parliament onside, and would also have shown your faith and loyalty to Protestants at home and abroad. Immediately send soldiers to help the Protestant rebels. Too rash! Go with an English army to help the Protestant rebels. Too risky! Your country need you at home, not dashing off to get yourself killed and threatening the successsion. And glory and riches? What glory and riches?!
James VI was one of the most successful Scottish monarchs, but James I was a relative failure as a ruler of England . To what extent do you agree with this view? 1. How do your tiles match up? Did James I make sensible decisions? 2. What precise and specific examples are there to justify the statement? 3. What precise and specific examples are there to challenge the statement? 4. What is your overall judgement?
Extension Questions 1. Who did James need to keep onside in his decision- making, and why? Did he succeed in doing this? 2. Why was dealing with religious conflict sensitively and carefully so important? Was James good at this? Why/why not? 3. Who helped James make good decisions, and who didn t? Do you think James could have done a better job with better support around him?
James I: You are the King You ruled Scotland for thirty-five years, since you were just a baby! You have waited for the opportunity to be King of England for years. You have the great advantage of being a proven monarch. You have steadily gained control over the Scottish nobility, by preferring to avoid extreme actions, being flexible, and ruling by example - showing how effective you are as king. As Edinburgh steadily extended effective government into the distant Highlands and Western Islands, you have enjoyed a rising reputation in Europe. You describe yourself as an old experienced king, needing no lessons. You believe in your absolute power as monarch. This is what you said to Parliament in 1614: Monarchy is the greatest thing on Earth. Kings are rightly called gods since like God they have the power of life and death over all of their subjects. They are accountable to God only so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do. You are rather arrogant. You believe that you are capable of out- arguing almost anyone, and you believe that the English will accept you as their rightful king without question. James I: You are the King You ruled Scotland for thirty-five years, since you were just a baby! You have waited for the opportunity to be King of England for years. You have the great advantage of being a proven monarch. You have steadily gained control over the Scottish nobility, by preferring to avoid extreme actions, being flexible, and ruling by example - showing how effective you are as king. As Edinburgh steadily extended effective government into the distant Highlands and Western Islands, you have enjoyed a rising reputation in Europe. You describe yourself as an old experienced king, needing no lessons. You believe in your absolute power as monarch. This is what you said to Parliament in 1614: Monarchy is the greatest thing on Earth. Kings are rightly called gods since like God they have the power of life and death over all of their subjects. They are accountable to God only so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do. You are rather arrogant. You believe that you are capable of out- arguing almost anyone, and you believe that the English will accept you as their rightful king without question. James I: You are the King You ruled Scotland for thirty-five years, since you were just a baby! You have waited for the opportunity to be King of England for years. You have the great advantage of being a proven monarch. You have steadily gained control over the Scottish nobility, by preferring to avoid extreme actions, being flexible, and ruling by example - showing how effective you are as king. As Edinburgh steadily extended effective government into the distant Highlands and Western Islands, you have enjoyed a rising reputation in Europe. You describe yourself as an old experienced king, needing no lessons. You believe in your absolute power as monarch. This is what you said to Parliament in 1614: Monarchy is the greatest thing on Earth. Kings are rightly called gods since like God they have the power of life and death over all of their subjects. They are accountable to God only so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do. You are rather arrogant. You believe that you are capable of out- arguing almost anyone, and you believe that the English will accept you as their rightful king without question. James I: You are the King You ruled Scotland for thirty-five years, since you were just a baby! You have waited for the opportunity to be King of England for years. You have the great advantage of being a proven monarch. You have steadily gained control over the Scottish nobility, by preferring to avoid extreme actions, being flexible, and ruling by example - showing how effective you are as king. As Edinburgh steadily extended effective government into the distant Highlands and Western Islands, you have enjoyed a rising reputation in Europe. You describe yourself as an old experienced king, needing no lessons. You believe in your absolute power as monarch. This is what you said to Parliament in 1614: Monarchy is the greatest thing on Earth. Kings are rightly called gods since like God they have the power of life and death over all of their subjects. They are accountable to God only so it is a crime for anyone to argue about what a king can do. You are rather arrogant. You believe that you are capable of out- arguing almost anyone, and you believe that the English will accept you as their rightful king without question.
James Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: Noble Advisor King James refers to you as my sweetheart , my sweet child and wife and my only sweet and dear child . In response, you flatter the king at every opportunity, enjoying the gifts that he gives you. You know that James I has inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth I. English kings and queens are expected to run the country using the income they get from their own lands. Taxes were only from special expenses, like wars. However, you like your special relationship with James because you like how he throws money at you. You know that James enjoys spending money and showing off his power his coronation cost 20,591! You like helping James spend his money. You encourage James to spend much of his time on his favourite pursuit hunting! when he probably should be dealing with running the country, and seeing the people by making royal tours, to make sure that people stay loyal to him, and think that he is interested in them. In summary, you don t really give James much advice at all you just enjoy the benefits of being his favourite! James Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: Noble Advisor King James refers to you as my sweetheart , my sweet child and wife and my only sweet and dear child . In response, you flatter the king at every opportunity, enjoying the gifts that he gives you. You know that James I has inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth I. English kings and queens are expected to run the country using the income they get from their own lands. Taxes were only from special expenses, like wars. However, you like your special relationship with James because you like how he throws money at you. You know that James enjoys spending money and showing off his power his coronation cost 20,591! You like helping James spend his money. You encourage James to spend much of his time on his favourite pursuit hunting! when he probably should be dealing with running the country, and seeing the people by making royal tours, to make sure that people stay loyal to him, and think that he is interested in them. In summary, you don t really give James much advice at all you just enjoy the benefits of being his favourite! James Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: Noble Advisor King James refers to you as my sweetheart , my sweet child and wife and my only sweet and dear child . In response, you flatter the king at every opportunity, enjoying the gifts that he gives you. You know that James I has inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth I. English kings and queens are expected to run the country using the income they get from their own lands. Taxes were only from special expenses, like wars. However, you like your special relationship with James because you like how he throws money at you. You know that James enjoys spending money and showing off his power his coronation cost 20,591! You like helping James spend his money. You encourage James to spend much of his time on his favourite pursuit hunting! when he probably should be dealing with running the country, and seeing the people by making royal tours, to make sure that people stay loyal to him, and think that he is interested in them. In summary, you don t really give James much advice at all you just enjoy the benefits of being his favourite! James Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: Noble Advisor King James refers to you as my sweetheart , my sweet child and wife and my only sweet and dear child . In response, you flatter the king at every opportunity, enjoying the gifts that he gives you. You know that James I has inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth I. English kings and queens are expected to run the country using the income they get from their own lands. Taxes were only from special expenses, like wars. However, you like your special relationship with James because you like how he throws money at you. You know that James enjoys spending money and showing off his power his coronation cost 20,591! You like helping James spend his money. You encourage James to spend much of his time on his favourite pursuit hunting! when he probably should be dealing with running the country, and seeing the people by making royal tours, to make sure that people stay loyal to him, and think that he is interested in them. In summary, you don t really give James much advice at all you just enjoy the benefits of being his favourite!
Anne of Denmark: You are Jamess wife You love fine jewels and expensive clothes. After James found out that you were rather shallow, he doesn t spend much time with you he prefers to spend his time with young men instead. He doesn t really keep track of what you do or what you spend. What you do agree on is the treatment of your three children, believing that they should live in a manner befitting princes and princesses. You and James also give away lavish gifts. You like living at Hampton Court, away from the smelly common people most of the ordinary people live outside of London, so you should be safe here! Anne of Denmark: You are James s wife You love fine jewels and expensive clothes. After James found out that you were rather shallow, he doesn t spend much time with you he prefers to spend his time with young men instead. He doesn t really keep track of what you do or what you spend. What you do agree on is the treatment of your three children, believing that they should live in a manner befitting princes and princesses. You and James also give away lavish gifts. You like living at Hampton Court, away from the smelly common people most of the ordinary people live outside of London, so you should be safe here! Anne of Denmark: You are James s wife You love fine jewels and expensive clothes. After James found out that you were rather shallow, he doesn t spend much time with you he prefers to spend his time with young men instead. He doesn t really keep track of what you do or what you spend. What you do agree on is the treatment of your three children, believing that they should live in a manner befitting princes and princesses. You and James also give away lavish gifts. You like living at Hampton Court, away from the smelly common people most of the ordinary people live outside of London, so you should be safe here! Anne of Denmark: You are James s wife You love fine jewels and expensive clothes. After James found out that you were rather shallow, he doesn t spend much time with you he prefers to spend his time with young men instead. He doesn t really keep track of what you do or what you spend. What you do agree on is the treatment of your three children, believing that they should live in a manner befitting princes and princesses. You and James also give away lavish gifts. You like living at Hampton Court, away from the smelly common people most of the ordinary people live outside of London, so you should be safe here!
Sir Robert Cecil: You are a Noble Advisor You used to be a very close advisor to Elizabeth I. She called you Pigmy (because you are short), but you are also known at court as the Fox probably because you are extremely clever and cunning. You are a strict Protestant (a Puritan) and you are worried about Catholicism. You are concerned that Catholics have links to France and Spain, who tell them that they should kill King James and restore Catholicism in England. You think that the King is excessively kind to Catholics and that Catholics are saying Mass openly. That being said, you think the English public want to like James, and will do little to stop him being king they don t want a civil war. You hate anything Catholic like the Latin bible. You are left to do much of the work yourself by James, who is naturally lazy and avoids any kind of work. You know that James hates war he finds it very unsettling and you both don t like the cost of war you are very aware of the 400,000 debt that Elizabeth left James, and you worry that the huge expense of war could cripple the country, unless Parliament agree to taxation. Sir Robert Cecil: You are a Noble Advisor You used to be a very close advisor to Elizabeth I. She called you Pigmy (because you are short), but you are also known at court as the Fox probably because you are extremely clever and cunning. You are a strict Protestant (a Puritan) and you are worried about Catholicism. You are concerned that Catholics have links to France and Spain, who tell them that they should kill King James and restore Catholicism in England. You think that the King is excessively kind to Catholics and that Catholics are saying Mass openly. That being said, you think the English public want to like James, and will do little to stop him being king they don t want a civil war. You hate anything Catholic like the Latin bible. You are left to do much of the work yourself by James, who is naturally lazy and avoids any kind of work. You know that James hates war he finds it very unsettling and you both don t like the cost of war you are very aware of the 400,000 debt that Elizabeth left James, and you worry that the huge expense of war could cripple the country, unless Parliament agree to taxation. Sir Robert Cecil: You are a Noble Advisor You used to be a very close advisor to Elizabeth I. She called you Pigmy (because you are short), but you are also known at court as the Fox probably because you are extremely clever and cunning. You are a strict Protestant (a Puritan) and you are worried about Catholicism. You are concerned that Catholics have links to France and Spain, who tell them that they should kill King James and restore Catholicism in England. You think that the King is excessively kind to Catholics and that Catholics are saying Mass openly. That being said, you think the English public want to like James, and will do little to stop him being king they don t want a civil war. You hate anything Catholic like the Latin bible. You are left to do much of the work yourself by James, who is naturally lazy and avoids any kind of work. You know that James hates war he finds it very unsettling and you both don t like the cost of war you are very aware of the 400,000 debt that Elizabeth left James, and you worry that the huge expense of war could cripple the country, unless Parliament agree to taxation. Sir Robert Cecil: You are a Noble Advisor You used to be a very close advisor to Elizabeth I. She called you Pigmy (because you are short), but you are also known at court as the Fox probably because you are extremely clever and cunning. You are a strict Protestant (a Puritan) and you are worried about Catholicism. You are concerned that Catholics have links to France and Spain, who tell them that they should kill King James and restore Catholicism in England. You think that the King is excessively kind to Catholics and that Catholics are saying Mass openly. That being said, you think the English public want to like James, and will do little to stop him being king they don t want a civil war. You hate anything Catholic like the Latin bible. You are left to do much of the work yourself by James, who is naturally lazy and avoids any kind of work. You know that James hates war he finds it very unsettling and you both don t like the cost of war you are very aware of the 400,000 debt that Elizabeth left James, and you worry that the huge expense of war could cripple the country, unless Parliament agree to taxation.
James Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: You are a Noble Advisor King James refers to you as my sweetheart , my sweet child and wife and my only sweet and dear child . In response, you flatter the king at every opportunity, enjoying the gifts that he gives you. You know that James I has inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth I. English kings and queens are expected to run the country using the income they get from their own lands. Taxes were only from special expenses, like wars. However, you like your special relationship with James because you like how he throws money at you. You know that James enjoys spending money and showing off his power his coronation cost 20,591! You like helping James spend his money. You encourage James to spend much of his time on his favourite pursuit hunting! when he probably should be dealing with running the country, and seeing the people by making royal tours, to make sure that people stay loyal to him, and think that he is interested in them. In summary, you don t really give James much advice at all you just enjoy the benefits of being his favourite!
Anne of Denmark: You are James s wife You love fine jewels and expensive clothes. After James found out that you were rather shallow, he doesn t spend much time with you he prefers to spend his time with young men instead. He doesn t really keep track of what you do or what you spend. What you do agree on is the treatment of your three children, believing that they should live in a manner befitting princes and princesses. You and James also give away lavish gifts. You like living at Hampton Court, away from the smelly common people most of the ordinary people live outside of London, so you should be safe here!
Robert Cecil: You are a Noble Advisor You used to be a very close advisor to Elizabeth I. She called you Pigmy (because you are short), but you are also known at court as the Fox probably because you are extremely clever and cunning. You are a strict Protestant (a Puritan) and you are worried about Catholicism. You are concerned that Catholics have links to France and Spain, who tell them that they should kill King James and restore Catholicism in England. You think that the King is excessively kind to Catholics and that Catholics are saying Mass openly. That being said, you think the English public want to like James, and will do little to stop him being king they don t want a civil war. You hate anything Catholic like the Latin bible. You are left to do much of the work yourself by James, who is naturally lazy and avoids any kind of work. You know that James hates war he finds it very unsettling and you both don t like the cost of war you are very aware of the 400,000 debt that Elizabeth left James, and you worry that the huge expense of war could cripple the country, unless Parliament could agree to taxation.
