James I's family tree
| This pedigree, or family tree, of James I links him with an ancient
British imperial crown dating back to Julius Caesar. It was drawn
up by Robert Bruce Cotton, the famous manuscript collector, to help
legitimise the new kingdom of 'Great Britain', which James wanted
to create out of the old kingdoms of England and Scotland. The crown
descends via kings whose policies resemble James's own, such as the
'peaceful' King Edgar and King Alfred, 'who united the Heptarchy'
and, like James, could be perceived as the bringer together of a falsely
divided realm. Like James, Cotton was distantly related to Robert
the Bruce, and he was keen to stress his own connections with the
new ruling house. Catalogue reference: SP 14/1, no. 3 (March 1603) |
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