1. James I and Charles I: character, court and favourites

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when James became king of England was he already an experienced monarch?
He had already been James VI of Scotland since 1567 and effectively been a ruler since he was 17
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what was James character like?
Intellectual, outgoing man who enjoyed a debate and dealing with people. His ability to communicate and he was also a pragmatic
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what did James being able to communicate and a pragmatic enable him to do?
make the ill defined english political system work
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How was Charles a very different man and king from his politically astute father?
Charles differences were rooted in his personality. In contrast to his outgoing father, Charles was shy and had a speech defect. This led to him being unapproachable and uncommunicative with parliament
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What was Charles unwilling to do?
negotiate and compromise. he seemed unable to understand viewpoints that differed from his own and interpreted and slightest hint of criticism as rebellion
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why did Charles have none of James I's political shrewdness?
due to his insecurities
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what were both James and Charles firm believers in?
Divine Right of Kings and defensive of their prerogative
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When it came to dealing with the ambiguity of the balance between the royal prerogative and parliamentary privilege in the unwritten constitution what were both both James and Charles?
James was pragmatic and Charles was provocative. Their differing personalities reflected how the monarchs viewed kingship.
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what did James see himself as?
'peacemaker king' in his foreign policy and he sought compromise and negotiation with the political nation in England while defending his prerogative
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How did Charles also sought to defend his prerogative?
he did it provocatively, as a result of his limited self confidence. He was unwilling to negotiate and the nature of his court increasingly hampered dialogue with the Political Nation, leading to the undermining of his authority
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What was the court divided into?
the public outer chamber and the inner lodgings, where the monarch enjoyed some privacy and to which access was strictly controlled
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what was the privy council to the monarch?
it was the monarchs official body of advisers and administrators. Held considerable power, but the monarch did not have to follow its advice. Men with more personal contact with the monarch were sometimes more influential
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How did the court of James I exhibit different aspects of his personality?
it was an open and lively place that reflected the kings enjoyment of life
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What was James noted for?
his open, physical interaction with his courtiers.
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what was his court criticised for?
dunken, immoral and debauched. Yet his intellectual interests were also emphasised at his court
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what was one source of tension at James' court?
the early dominance of the Bedchamber by the Scots. Although the English elite held the major state offices, they were concerned about the influence the Scots could wield through their access to James
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who was the first Englishman that James appointed to the Bedchamber?
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham in 1615 which created a new source of tension
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what did Charles I regard his court as?
a microcosm or miniature version of his state - a model for what could be achieved in the country
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How did the strict order that Charles imposed on his court and the fact that only his supporters were included make it appear?
made it seem isolated from the rest of the country, offering those outside it no point of contact in the political process
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what did Charles' court seem dominated by?
Catholics and Arminians this caused great political damage as catholicism at the time was strongly linked with absolutism, as seen in Spain and France
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what was the political nation uneasy about?
having a monarch who could rule freely without regarding for their concerns
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what were favourites?
any courtier who became close to a monarch
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what became a source of tension for James?
his open affection for a range of male courtiers
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why did favourites under James I provoke concern?
provoked concern about their influence as men, they were in a position to have an open political role, and the monarch allowed them to have one
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what did their favour also represent?
example of the Kings debauched lifestyle and immoral court
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who was the key favourite of both James and Charles?
the Duke of Buckingham, such was his prominence at court that he was also a major source of political tension in the years 1618-1628
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what was the relationship between James and Buckingham based on?
personal affection, through his remarkable skill, Buckingham was able to maintain his position as favourite when Charles became king in 1625
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what was different in the relationship of Charles and Buckingham?
their relationship was less overtly sexual than the one Buckingham had enjoyed with James, in the beginning Charles and Buckingham had suffered a difficult relationship during James rule
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what was Buckingham allowed in Charles rule?
dominant rule in the management of royal patronage which forced others to look to parliament in order to pursue their interests
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Card 2

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what was James character like?

Back

Intellectual, outgoing man who enjoyed a debate and dealing with people. His ability to communicate and he was also a pragmatic

Card 3

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what did James being able to communicate and a pragmatic enable him to do?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How was Charles a very different man and king from his politically astute father?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What was Charles unwilling to do?

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