Editing James VI and I (section)

===Birth===
[[File:King James I of England and VI of Scotland by Arnold van Brounckhorst.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Portrait of James as a boy, after [[Arnold Bronckorst]], 1574]]

James was the only son of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], and her second husband, [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]]. Mary and Darnley were great-grandchildren of [[Henry VII of England]] through [[Margaret Tudor]], the older sister of [[Henry VIII]]. Mary's rule over Scotland was insecure, and she and her husband, being [[Roman Catholic Church in Scotland|Roman Catholics]], faced a rebellion by [[Protestant]] noblemen. During Mary's and Darnley's difficult marriage,<ref>{{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=236–237, 241–242, 270}}; {{Harvnb|Willson|1963|p=13}}.</ref> Darnley secretly allied himself with the rebels and conspired in the murder of the queen's private secretary, [[David Rizzio]], just three months before James's birth.<ref>{{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=248–250}}; {{Harvnb|Willson|1963|p=16}}.</ref>

James was born on 19 June 1566 at [[Edinburgh Castle]], and as the eldest son and [[heir apparent]] of the monarch automatically became [[Duke of Rothesay]] and [[Prince of Scotland|Prince]] and [[Great Steward of Scotland]]. Five days later, the English diplomat [[Henry Killigrew (diplomat)|Henry Killigrew]] saw the queen, who had not fully recovered and could only speak faintly. The baby was "sucking at his nurse" and was "well proportioned and like to prove a goodly prince".<ref>Joseph Bain, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 290.</ref> He was [[Baptism of James VI|baptised]] "Charles James" or "James Charles" on 17 December 1566 in a Catholic ceremony held at [[Stirling Castle]]. His godparents were [[Charles IX of France]] (represented by [[John III, Count of Ligny|John, Count of Brienne]]), [[Elizabeth I of England]] (represented by the [[Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford|Francis Russell, Earl of Bedford]]), and [[Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy]] (represented by ambassador [[Philibert du Croc]]).{{Efn|As the Earl of Bedford was a Protestant, his place in the ceremony was taken by [[Lady Jean Stewart|Jean, Countess of Argyll]].{{Sfn|Willson|1963|p=17}} }} Mary refused to let the [[John Hamilton (archbishop of St Andrews)|Archbishop of St Andrews]], whom she referred to as "a pocky priest", spit in the child's mouth, as was then the custom.{{Sfn|Donaldson|1974|p=99}} The [[Baptism of James VI|subsequent entertainment]], devised by Frenchman [[Bastian Pagez]], featured men dressed as satyrs and sporting tails, to which the English guests took offence, thinking the satyrs "done against them".{{Sfn|Thomson|1827|pp=171–172}}

[[Murder of Lord Darnley|Lord Darnley was murdered]] on 10 February 1567 at Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh, perhaps in revenge for the killing of Rizzio. James inherited his father's titles of [[Duke of Albany]] and [[Earl of Ross]]. Mary was already unpopular, and her marriage on 15 May 1567 to [[James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell]], who was widely suspected of murdering Darnley, heightened widespread bad feeling towards her.{{Efn|Elizabeth I wrote to Mary: "My ears have been so astounded, my mind so disturbed and my heart so appalled at hearing the horrible report of the abominable murder of your late husband and my slaughtered cousin, that I can scarcely as yet summon the spirit to write about it ... I will not conceal from you that people for the most part are saying that you will look through your fingers at this deed instead of avenging it and that you don't care to take action against those who have done you this pleasure." Historian [[John Guy (historian)|John Guy]] nonetheless concludes: "Not a single piece of uncontaminated evidence has ever been found to show that Mary had foreknowledge of Darnley's murder".{{Sfn|Guy|2004|pp=312–313}} In historian David Harris Willson's view, however: "That Bothwell was the murderer no one can doubt; and that Mary was his accomplice seems equally certain."{{Sfn|Willson|1963|p=18}} }} In June 1567, Protestant rebels arrested Mary and imprisoned her in [[Lochleven Castle]]; she never saw her son again. She was forced to [[Act Anent the demission of the Crown in favour of our Sovereign Lord, and his Majesty's Coronation 1567|abdicate on 24 July 1567]] in favour of the infant James and to appoint her illegitimate half-brother [[James Stewart, Earl of Moray]], as [[regent]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Guy|2004|pp=364–365}}; {{Harvnb|Willson|1963|p=19}}.</ref> This made James the third consecutive Scottish monarch to ascend to the throne as an infant.