On 24th of March 1603, James VI, King of Scots, on the death of the Queen of England, Elizabeth I, acceded to the throne of England as James I of that country. This made him a joint monarch of both Scotland and England. The event is known as the Union of the Crowns.

On 5 April 1603, James left Edinburgh for London and promised to return every three years, which he failed to keep by returning only once, in 1617.

Although this hand over had been long engineered by Elizabeth’s advisors it was not overwhelmingly positively received in either England or Scotland. Never heeding any opposition, James, pressed on with his desire for a closer union between the two nations, foreseeing for himself being ” KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE, FRANCE AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH” .

He was followed to the English court by a host of Scottish aristocrats and others wishing to have the favour of the King and secure a place in his retinue.

Just as flags are in the news today, so it was then, when James devised new coats of arms, a uniform coinage, and a new flag of the two nations. James finally proclaimed the new Union Flag on 12 April 1606, which was unacceptable in Scotland as it featured the St George cross superimposed over the St Andrew’s Cross. It was not used in Scotland. The two nations also continued with their own flags for their separate vessels. The Union flag was eventually imposed on Scotland under Oliver Cromwell.

Fiona Grahame