Who was King James VI & I? Scotland's trailblazers, legends, creators and innovators

King James VI & I (1566 - 1625) was the first monarch of Scotland, England, and Ireland, after Elizabeth I of England died childless and named James as her heir. When he became king, this united the countries in what became known as the Union of the Crowns.

In this film find out how James reigned over a relatively peaceful time in British history, although it was not without its share of drama and plots to overthrow him. He was a scholar, a poet, a theologian, and a patron of the arts, with a particular passion for jewelry. His long marriage to Anne of Denmark produced several children, and in his lifetime his relationships with men at court led to much speculation. He was fiercely religious, believing that he had been appointed as king directly by God. James's fear of the occult and the threat of harm to his reign by dark magic meant he was fierce in his persecution of so-called witches.

King James is known as James VI & I because he was the sixth king called James to rule Scotland, but the first King of England to be named James. He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots and has often been overshadowed in history because of his famous mother. He was the father of King Charles I, so his legacy has often been eclipsed by these two more notorious relations. This is the first in a series of films looking at figures from history and uncovering who they really were, and some of the less well-known facts about their lives.

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