Baby James Stuart became King of Scotland at a year old when his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, abdicated in 1567. He never saw her again. In 1587 she was beheaded. He became King of England in 1603 on the death of Queen Elizabeth I, his mother's cousin and executioner. With the English Crown, he also inherited the thrones of Wales and Ireland. He was the first King of all four Kingdoms and tried to unite them into Great Britain. But that would take another century.

James was an intelligent man and did his best to deal with the religious turmoil of the times. His efforts included the publication of King James's Bible in English to provide a standard bible for all. He tolerated Catholicism as much as possible as long as people kept it private and followed the Anglican Church in public. However, with the Gunpowder Plot's discovery in 1605, anti-Catholic sentiment reached a fever pitch, which bolstered James's popularity with his new subjects.

Attributed to John de Critz. c1605