An Evening with Clare Jackson: King James VI and I

Sitting within metres of his final resting place in Westminster Abbey’s Lady Chapel, hear about the dramatic life of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. His reign witnessed the Gunpowder plot, the translation of the King James Bible, the first permanent English colony in the Americas, and the debut of numerous Shakespeare plays. Find out how his personal approach shaped both the character and future of the dual monarchy he created, unpacking the story of our nation.

Copies of The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI & I will be available for purchase and signing at the end of the talk.

Please be aware that the Lady Chapel is located up a flight of 12 medium-height steps.

About Clare Jackson

Clare Jackson is Honorary Professor of Early Modern History at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Trinity Hall. She has presented a number of highly successful programmes on the Stuart dynasty for the BBC and is the author of Devil-Land: England under Siege 1588-1688 (2021), which won the 2022 Wolfson History Prize. Her latest book The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI & I was published in 2025 and was selected as a ‘Book of the Year’ by The Times, The Financial Times, History Today and the Royal Academy Magazine.