Review: The Six Loves of James I by Gareth Russell

Synopsis: From the assassination of his father to the explosive political and personal intrigues of his reign, this fresh biography reveals as never before the passions that drove King James I.

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.

~ ~ ~

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.

Review: Royal Bastards of Twelfth Century England by James Turner

Synopsis: The many storied monarchs of twelfth century England lived, fought, loved, and died surrounded by their illegitimate relatives. While their many contributions have too often been overlooked, these illegitimate sons, daughters and siblings occupied crucial positions within the edifice of royal authority, serving their legitimate relatives as proxies and lieutenants. In addition to occupying roles and offices at the center of royal administration, Anglo-Norman and Angevin royal bastards, exiled to the fringes of family identity by a twist of fate, provided the kings of England with military and political support from amidst the aristocratic affinities into which they were embedded. Rather than merely inert pieces on the dynastic game board or passive conduits of royal association, these men and women were engaged participants in contemporary politics, proactively cultivating and shaping the thrones’ relationship with its principal subjects.

This book, the first full length study dedicated to the subject, examines the seminal conflicts and changing shape of the royal dynasty during a period of turbulent and formative development in the nature and institutions royal government through the rarely before accessed perspective of the reigning monarchs’ illegitimate family members and deputies. More than that this study aims, as far as possible, to illuminate and bring to life the lives, triumphs and tragedies of these fascinating half-forgotten personages. The victims of a rapid and profound demographic and social change which drastically recontextualized their position with royal family identity and aristocratic society, the bastards of the English royal family found new methods to survive and thrive.

~ ~ ~

The focus of this scholarly work is primarily on Henry I, a monarch noted for his numerous illegitimate offspring. It is a look at the role these offspring played in the greater scheme of the political aspirations of their sire. Key take-aways included the "high level of loyalty" each displayed toward the legitimate royal family, their inclusion within the family circle, and their assessment on an individual basis.

Turner begins with the concept of illegitimacy based upon changes to Church doctrine and coda, and Church reform at the time of William I of Normandy - William the Bastard.

We move onto Henry I - his birth, life as linked to his many mistresses and the resultant offspring, and the antecedents of his most well known bastard, Robert Earl of Gloucester. Turner remarks that Henry I's "... relationships follow the pattern of his itinerant lifestyle both before and after claiming the throne ...".  Historian Chris Given-Wilson wrote: "It might be permissible to wonder how it was that Henry I managed to keep track of all his illegitimate children, but there is no doubt that he did so". 

The use of illegitimate children to further political designs was not unusual among medieval kings, but the number of Henry I of England’s offspring was remarkable, even by contemporary standards.

Whilst assessing Henry I's political policy, Turner notes that .... "by pursuing liaisons with member of regional and often partially non-Norman familial networks, Henry I was, in a limited sense, extending his own influence into these localities by drawing such families into alignment with his own interests from the often unreliable and fractious top tier of Anglo-Norman magnates ...".  Turner again states that Henry I then married off his mistresses into Anglo-Norman families "... engaged in royal service to further build influence and personal affinities within lower aristocracy ...".

Turner thus assesses the role of the royal bastards as a familial resource that could be used for political gain and the protection of lands / borders and the expansion of family identity on both a local and international political chess-board. Turner then looks at the acceptance of royal bastards among the royal entourage using the disaster of the White Ship in 1120 as an example of their inclusion rather than exclusion. 

Turner then diverts our attention to Henry I's only legitimate daughter, Matilda, and his succession plan, whilst again looking at Robert Earl of Gloucester, more noted of all his illegitimate offspring, before looking at another bastard, Reginald of Cornwall in the context of the historical period known as The Anarchy.

Turner draws the reader further a-field to Europe as a whole, wherein he he alerts us to ...... that ".. rulership in 12th Century Europe was predicated almost entirely upon familial connections and personal relationships .." and that the "... position of the illegitimate offspring was dependent upon the political and dynastic context of their legitimate relatives and their implied advancement of familial interests..". 

This all dovetails nicely as our narrative is now directed towards Henry II and his own illegitimate offspring.  Again, a comparison between Henry I and II and their usage of their illegitimate offspring to further their own political ambitions is undertaken.

In the case of Henry II, we are treated to a review of the historical and political importance of Henry II's half-brother Hamelin de Warrenne, and Henry's own illegitimate offspring in Geoffrey Plantagenet and William Longspee.

Whilst the period of time being covered is rather narrow, Turner draws the reader to key points - bastards were accepted and used to promote the political interests of their sire, they were often more loyal than their legitimate siblings, and bastardy was no impediment to advancement.

Background knowledge would be an advantage as this isn't a chronologically presented of every single illegitimate royal offspring extant in 12th Century England, It is also heavily focused on the bastard sons, who were in a much better position to promote the political message of their monarch parent. Overall, I would recommend picking up this book for a more indepth look at the political decision making processes of Henrys I and II as applied to their illegitimate offspring and their greater political aspirations.