History

• James I


  Experienced monarch, intellectual, pragmatic, good at dealing with people
• Charles I


  Shy, had a speech defect, not very approachable or good at communication, overused royal prerogative, stubborn and unwilling to compromise
• Both James I and Charles I were firm believers in the Divine Right of Kings
• James I's view on monarchy


  Able to distinguish between the theory of absolute power and the realities of ruling, saw himself as a peacemaker King, sought to compromise with Parliament
• Charles I's view on monarchy

  Wanted to defend his prerogative, but was unwilling to negotiate due to limited self-confidence
• James I's court


  • Open and positive, James was open to discussion and disagreement with courtiers, his intellect shone through, but there were some tensions with Scots dominating the Monarch's bedchamber
• Charles I's court


  • Isolated, strict order, only made up of his own supporters, dominated by Catholics and Arminians, caused further political tensions
• James I's notable favourites

  • Esme Stuart, Duke of Lenox
  • Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset
  • George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
• James I's favourites were all men, which gave them the ability to wield open political power and gave the court a reputation for immorality and debauchery
• George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, was a favourite of both James I and Charles I, and wielded significant political power through his close relationship with the monarchs
• The characters of James I and Charles I

  Were polar opposites, which was reflected in their courts and views on monarchy
• Charles I


  Born in 1600, became heir to the throne in 1612 after the death of his older brother Henry, son of King James I
• Charles I


  • Relatively inexperienced in how the royal court operated as he was raised away from it
  • Had a stammer which made him a poor public speaker
• Divine right of kings


  Principle that the monarch's power to rule comes directly from God, and the monarch is only answerable to God
• Charles I's belief in divine right of kings


  Caused tensions with Parliament as he believed political power should lie entirely with the monarch
• Charles I's court


  • Wanted a more structured, orderly and hierarchical court, unlike the more extravagant and less structured court of his father James I
• Charles I's aims as king

  1. Restore order, hierarchy and structure within the court

  2. Re-establish strong finances for the monarchy

  3. Maintain control over the kingdoms of England, Ireland and Scotland
• Religious, cultural and political tensions existed during Charles I's reign, ultimately leading to the English Civil Wars
• James took the throne following the death of Elizabeth


  1603
• Elizabeth died


  1603
• Elizabeth left a relatively inadequate state of finances within the country of England, having inherited a great amount of debt of 250,000 pounds when she became queen
• From Henry VIII onwards, the financial state of England was in a gradual state of decline
• In the 1590s, there were a number of bad harvests which ultimately led to further economic hardships
• There was a consistent and steady rise when it came to inflation, leading to a rise in the price of commodities during the reign of Elizabeth
• In the latter half of Elizabeth's reign, she had to deal with a number of costly conflicts with Spain, which she had to use forced loans to finance, and up to 100,000 pounds being raised through these forced loans, with the crown's assets also having to be sold to fund these conflicts
• James appointed Robert Cecil to be his chief financial advisor, which led to the introduction of the Book of Rates in 1608, outlining customs duties on various goods to raise revenue
• When Cecil died in 1612, Lionel Cranfield became financial advisor and was able to reduce the crown's spending by up to half
• James utilized the inherited use and control over various monopolies to reward his favorites in court, which led to positive financial outcomes in the early part of his reign
• The Book of Rates led to resentment from those who had to pay the new customs duties
• Cecil introduced the Great Contract in 1610, which was an agreement whereby James would agree to abandon his right to claim a number of feudal taxes in return for annual grants from parliament, but it was ultimately rejected by both James and the House of Commons
• In 1624, parliament passed the Statute of Monopolies, leading to a great reduction in James's abilities to control monopolies
• In 1614, there was a significant reduction in the number of cloth exports, which was a major export for England, leading to a reduction in the size of the economy
• James did not inherit the throne with a clean and neutral economy, as he inherited a lot of debt from Elizabeth the First, accumulated through the latter half of the Tudor period, bad harvests, inflation, and conflicts with Spain
• James was relatively successful in balancing the economic problems, through his control of monopolies, the Book of Rates, and reducing spending, but each of these measures had their own issues and drawbacks
• Divine right of kings


  The belief that the monarch's authority comes directly from God and cannot be challenged
• Church of England


  The established state church in England, formed when Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic Church
• James I was a strong Protestant, though not as extreme as the Presbyterian Reformation
• Conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism

  Existed during the reigns of the Tudors and Stuarts
• James I wanted to achieve religious unity across all the kingdoms he ruled (England and Scotland)
• Millenary Petition


  1. Petition by Puritans in 1603 calling for reforms

  2. James I responded by arranging the Hampton Court Conference in 1604