James I (of England) (1566-1625), King of England (1603-1625) and, as James VI, King of Scotland (1567-1625).
Born on June 19, 1566, in Edinburgh Castle, James was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her second husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. When Mary was forced to abdicate in 1567, he was proclaimed King of Scotland, at the age of one year. A succession of regents ruled the kingdom until 1576, when James became nominal ruler. The boy king was little more than a puppet in the hands of political intriguers until 1581.
