The rise of James VI & I: when Britain went global

Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine. Was Elizabeth I holding England back from establishing itself on the global stage? Why was it James, the King of Scotland, who succeeded her? And how successful was his quest for peace? In her new book, The Sun Rising, Professor Anna Whitelock explores how the accession of the new king and the arrival of the Jacobean era tilted the nation's gaze towards the future.

James Osborne spoke to her to find out more. Anna, the book is a fascinating exploration of how James I's kingdom becomes a global power. But before we delve into that aspect of his reign, I wanted to frame it with some context. Why is it James I who inherits the throne, and what is the state of the kingdom he inherits? Yes, it's of course the end of the Tudor dynasty.

And Elizabeth, after a very long reign, dies without a heir. And for a long time she's under pressure to name a successor, but she actually said, you know, as soon as I would name an heir, attention would immediately turn to the sun rising. So she doesn't, she doesn't name an heir. and the most credible successor, even though there's lots of talk about potential claimants both at home and abroad, Philip of Spain is considering a Spanish claimant. And of course there's a real sense that Catholics want someone who's determinedly Catholics, Protestants want someone who's absolutely Protestant.

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