James is gay
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These reasons and innumerable other, hourly objected, move me to hasten the treaty of my marriage; for as to my own nature, God is my witness I could have abstained longer than the weal of my country could have permitted. Having remained a Protestant, much to the chagrin of the French, the Lords Enterprisers, and his wife, Esme fell suddenly ill.
They also point to James’ detractors who never resorted to accusing the king of ‘sodomy’ and that James, a staunch Protestant, condemned what he considered a “horrible crime which ye are bound in conscience never to forgive.”
This would seem to be evidence enough that James couldn’t possibly have been involved in homosexual relations, but it rests heavily on the assumption that a relationship between two men intrinsically involved penetrative sex.
He wrote poems lamenting the absence of his mistress who has been identified as Anne Murray, one of his wife’s ladies in waiting. In total, Anne and James had seven children together but only three survived to adulthood. The furthest he could possibly have been sent was Russia and guess where James wanted him to go? Villiers was minor gentry.
His death came so quickly, the Scottish court sent out messengers to discern whether it was a rumour or not. It was a happy and convenient coincidence that as Villiers arrived at court in 1615, Carr was falling out of favour.
James was quickly enamoured and he wasn’t the only one. As it happens, he was damned anyway.
The four were hanged but James commuted Carr and Frances’ sentence to imprisonment in the Tower before eventually allowing them to retire to their estate.
In the aftermath, Carr and James exchanged many letters but the relationship was done. Charles’ past relationships have contributed to his understanding of his sexuality, debunking any myths about him being anything other than proudly gay.
Queer Kings & Queens: Was James I & VI gay?
The sexuality of King James VI of Scotland & I of England has been long debated by historians.
Esme belonged to a specific line of Scottish nobility that had been long honoured by the King of France and mostly kept to their French estates. Villiers however, doesn’t seem to have fallen into the trap of abusing the king’s trust or taking his favour for granted. The court frequently referred to their passionate kisses, embraces, and carnal behaviour.
It also wasn’t unusual for the king to visit him once during his recovery. The early years of his reign were dominated by the first of his so-called male favourites, Esme Stewart. He quite specifically refers to the secrets Carr had revealed while sharing a bed with Overbury, his lover.
After months of imprisonment, Overbury wrote to Carr and informed him that he had documented everything he should probably never have been told, sealed it, and handed it to a trusted friend who had specific instructions on when to reveal it depending on what happened to Overbury next.
After five months in the Tower, Overbury died.
The article was based on anonymous sources and unsubstantiated rumors, and it was criticized as a smear campaign and fake news. At times, this was a cause for embarrassment for the court who never quite got used to the excessive displays of affection between the king and his young favourite. In 1589, the twenty three year old James was betrothed to fourteen year old Anne of Denmark.
The same lords feared that Esme’s influence might affect the king politically or convert the king to Catholicism. As it happens, he was found guilty though later his charges would be reduced and he was ruled an accessory after the fact rather than having any actual involvement in the poisoning. She has the right to identify herself as she wishes, and to share or not share her personal life with the public.
One of the jewels was known as the ‘Great H of Scotland’. He has been vocal about his sexual orientation and has been open with his fans and followers.
His confidence in himself and his gender identity is evident, making him a well-respected member of the LGBTQ+ community.