The Opposition Court of Henry, Prince of Wales, in the Reign of James I, 1610-1612

Abstract

Henry Frederick Stuart, eldest son of James VI and I and Anne of Denmark, died at the age of eighteen after only two years as Prince of Wales. In his short life he developed a large following and served as the focal point for anti-Jacobean policies. Shortly after his death he developed into a near mythical figure in English history, and as a result the historical person of Henry has been lost in that legend which portrayed him as the quintessential militant Protestant prince. Henry has assumed this persona largely because his historical record is overwhelmingly literary. This thesis seeks to look beyond the myth to the reality of Henry’s court, and its significance in early Stuart rule. An analysis of Henry, his court, and the policies they supported provides a means of looking at the dissatisfaction with James, and how that dissatisfaction was connected to the memory of Elizabeth I.