James Charles Stuart was born on June 19, 1566 at Edinburg Castle in Scotland. His father, Lord Darnley, was murdered in early 1567 before young James was 1 year old. His mother, Mary Queen of Scots, subsequently ascended to the Scottish throne. Her reign, however was short lived and she was forced to abdicate in favor of her son on July 24, 1567. Little James was crowned King James VI of Scotland five days later at the tender age of 13 months. Reformation leader John Knox preached the sermon at his coronation.
James' mother, Mary, was imprisoned in England by her cousin Queen Elizabeth and 19 years later, in February of 1587, was executed for her part in the conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. King James never knew his mother.
And so, like many monarchs of the time, King James was reared by neither father nor mother but rather by tutors. Of his four tutors, perhaps one of the most influential was George Buchanan, a staunch Calvinist. It was under Mr. Buchanan's strict teaching methods that King James became one of the most learned and intellectually curious men to ever sit on any throne. Mr. Buchanan was 64 years old when he began tutoring the young king.
It was Greek before breakfast then Latin and history, composition, arithmetic cosmography, dialectics, rhetoric and of course, theology. King James spoke fluent Greek, Latin, French, English, and Scots and was schooled in Italian and Spanish. The King once remarked, that he could speak Latin before he could speak his native Scots. Because of his linguistic capabilities, King James typically did not need a translator when conducting business with other heads of state.
The stiff intellectual diet from George Buchanan was absorbed by a young boy who may have had a certain measure of dislike for his strict tutor. Nevertheless, King James learned well and grew into a powerful man with a powerful pen. The Cambridge University press notes that the King's writings were...