“Queen James”: Passion and Politics at the Heart of the Monarchy – Gareth Russell

Sun 11 October, 2026 at 5:00 pm

‘Elizabeth was king, Then James was queen.’ – English author (1603)

From his dramatic childhood as Mary, Queen of Scots’ only son, James Stuart, King of England, Scotland and Ireland witnessed kidnapping attempts, assassinations, witch-hunts, and six love affairs. He fell in love three times – with a Scottish lord, a knight and George Villiers, ‘the handsomest man in the whole world’ and was infatuated three more times. This groundbreaking new book puts James – genius, liar, spendthrift, idealist – and the men he loved at the centre of one of the most dramatic stories in British royal history.

Gareth Russell is an historian and broadcaster. His books include Young and Damned and Fair, and The Ship of Dreams. Queen James has been adapted into a BBC documentary.

‘James comes alive in full flamboyance … Russell expertly weaves the bedchamber gossip into the tapestry of a tumultuous reign’ – Sunday Times