ABSTRACT
The last decade of James VI’s Scottish residency saw developments in the power and influence of the king’s chamber, a nebulous collection of royal favourites, friends of long-standing, trusted advisors, and lifelong servitors. Some of these men were resident at court while others moved between court and locality. Several owed their personal wealth and position directly to the king and repaid him with their service. Others still were powerful magnates whose influence in the localities was as important to the king as their presence at court. These disparate courtiers guided the king through financial crises, political uncertainty, and personal attacks. It was both a preference for and reliance on these servitors of long standing, combined with ongoing attempts to reform the finances and efficiency of his household, that contributed to the development of the chamber in its most settled and extensive form in the years prior to 1603. Through discussion of the issues facing the court and profiling of the lives and careers of the gentlemen found therein, this chapter charts the evolution of the chamber as it developed into a coterie that James took with him on his transfer to England.
