When Queen Elizabeth I of England died childless in 1603, James, her closest Protestant relative, inherited the English throne. The son of Mary Queen of Scots became King James VI of Scotland, and James I of England, making him the first monarch to rule both England and Scotland. 

Historian Gareth Russell unravels the explosive story of Britain’s first king, brought to life through dramatic reconstructions of James' letters, writings and speeches. Nicknamed ‘Queen James’ for his passionate devotion to a string of male bedfellows or 'favourites', King James also survived kidnappings, narrowly escaped being blown up in the Gunpowder Plot and was patron to Shakespeare.

But perhaps most shockingly, King James became entangled in a scandalous murder trial that threatened to shake the monarchy to its core, told for the first time in this revealing documentary.