 | |
| James VI | |
| Aliases: | King James VI James Charles Stuart |
| Notability: | Minor character |
| Occupation: | King |
| Gender: | Male |
| Location: | England Scotland |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Born: | June 19th, 1566 |
| Died: | March 27th, 1625 |
| Actor: | Alan Cumming |
James Charles Stuart is an historical figure and was crowned James VI as the King of Scotland and James I as the King of England and Ireland. He inherited the Scottish monarchy as a child in 1567 and became the King of England in 1603 and remained as such until his death in 1625. James VI is remembered for his translation of the Holy Bible, also known as the King James Bible, which can be found in many well-respected motel rooms across the United States, and probably in England as well. A fictionalized version of King James was presented in "The Witchfinders" episode of Doctor Who, which aired in November, 2018. He was played by actor Alan Cumming in the episode.
Biography[]
James Charles Stuart was born to Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in Edinburgh Castle on June 19th, 1566. [1]
When he was only one-years-old, his father was murdered and his mother was imprisoned. One (fictional) account asserts that James believed that his mother had abandoned him - a notion that traumatized him as a child, and would govern his behavior well into adulthood. [2]
In the early 17th century, King James personally oversaw what he perceived to be a witchcraft epidemic taking place in the village of Bilehurst Cragg near Lancashire. He had entrusted the hunting and execution of accused witches to a woman named Becka Savage. James encountered a group of strange travelers known as The Doctor, Ryan Sinclair, Graham O'Brien, and Yasmin Khan. Initially, he gave little notice or respect to the Doctor, scoffing at the notion of a woman acting as a physician, though he did seem to take a special interest in Ryan, suggesting that James was bisexual.
The Doctor tried to convince James that the women who had been executed were innocent victims, and not witches at all. A religious zealot of the highest order, James deduced that the Doctor herself had to be a witch, and ordered her to be sentenced by ducking.
As it turned out, a disembodied alien race known as the Morax had been imprisoned underground at Pendle Hill. Becka Savage had unwittingly released them when she cut down a holly tree that had existed on the hill. The Morax took possession of the bodies of the executed witches and reanimated them. The Morax Queen took possession of Becka Savage and captured King James. The Doctor and her companions in "Team TARDIS" defeated the Morax, re-imprisoning them, and King James defeated Becka Savage himself by burning the Morax presence from her body.
Once everything was settled, King James acknowledge that the Doctor was not in fact a witch, and bid her and her companions good tidings. He did try to convince Ryan to stay behind, but Ryan politely declined and went with the Doctor. [2]
King James died at Theobalds House in England on March 27th, 1625 at the age of fifty-eight. He was buried at Westminster Abbey on May 7th. He was succeeded as King by his second son, Charles I. [1]
Notes & Trivia[]
- Yeah, he was a real guy. And yeah... he's the guy that one iteration of the Bible takes its origin from.
- The sexuality of King James VI has been debated amongst historical scholars for years. In Doctor Who, he clearly makes goo-goo eyes at Ryan Sinclair.