Gareth Russell’s “rollicking, gossipy” (Dan Jones, author of The Plantagenets), and scholarly voice invites us into James’s world, revealing a monarch whose reign was defined by both his public power and personal vulnerabilities. For too long, historians have shied away from or condemned the exploration of his sexuality. Now, Russell offers a candid narrative that not only reveals James’s relationships with five prominent men but also challenges the historical standards applied to the examination of royal intimacies.
This biography stands as a significant contribution to the understanding of royal history, illuminating the personal experiences that shaped James’s political decisions and his philosophical views on masculinity and sexuality.
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Russell aims to tell the story of James I - his life and rule - through the prism of the men and women he loved and was intimate with, from his youth until his death.
For a man "nurtured in fear", James placed great store in the intimate relations he cultivated, with men and women alike, and in both a sexual and non-sexual way. These close and strong attachments often reflected the way James acted and behaved in private and on the political field.
James was said to have "loved indiscreetly and obstinately" which gives an insight into the person and character of the monarch. However the reader cannot fall into the trap of assuming that every friendship or attachment was a camoflaged romance - a strong cohort of loyal and trusted intimates - whether personal or political - was important - and not just to James, but also to his kindred monarchs.
As mentioned, against the backdrop of James' personal and political life, Russell introduces the reader to the agreed consensus of those whom James held in great affection. We begin with his cousin, Esme Earl of Lennox, who was the first to organise James' household along more "royal" lines; Patrick Gray, who was dismissed amid accusations of of espionage and sedition; James, Earl of Huntley, later imprisoned by Charles I; Alexander Lindsay who was contemporary with James' marriage to Anne of Denmark; Alexander Ruthven, James' frequent hunting companion; followed by two lesser known favourites whose time in the sun coincided with James' succession to the English throne upon the death of Elizabeth I.
We the reader musn't overlook James' interaction with his female favourites and here Russell looks at James' brief relationship with Anne Murray, and - more importantly - that of his wife and queen, Anne. Again, the reader cannot assume that Anne was completely ignorant as to James' sexuality, indeed at times she was more than complicit in soliciting "companions" for her husband. This in itself shows that she was a powerful and influential figure on the political scene, even if her influence was channeled through others.
Finally we arrive at the two men who were considered to be the most influential of all of James' men - Robert Carr and George Villiers. Both men meet James after he takes the English throne, both become involved in politics and scandal - only one would outlive James.
Russell finishes with a brief outline of the events from the death of James to the accession of Charles II and the sisters, Mary and Anne Stuart; followed by the extension notes and references used in this well constructed biography.
The reader will be suitably entertained with the "gossipy scandal" of James' love-life, and informed through this user-friendly historical study of both English and Scottish politics under the first King of a united kingdom.
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