England 1605: Queen Elizabeth I is dead; her cousin, King James I, sits on the English throne. Catholic worship is a criminal act, and persecution of Catholics is brutal and relentless. Gunpowder Siege I: Fugitives, Sky History 2024
You probably know the name Guido Fawks as the lone assassin who tried to blow up parliament. But he wasn’t acting alone. ibid.
Word of the threat spread like wildfire. Catholics suddenly became a real threat to the Protestant majority and the King’s rule.
In the three days since Fawks’ capture, good fortune is in short supply. Gunpowder Siege II: Betrayed
For most the stakes were too high. ibid.
‘What a beautiful bunch of bastards, eh?’ ibid. Catesby
[Cecil]: ‘There is only one real power in this country.’ Gunpowder Siege III: Last Stand
‘They knew the game was up and still they went through with it.’ ibid. Anne
‘Did he [Catesby] think he was above the Pope?’ ibid.
‘They were driven to madness by grief and betrayal.’ ibid.
‘We must write our own story.’ ibid. Catesby
It’s the spring of 1616, and on the outskirts of London King James is tormented by fear. He can’t sit still, he can’t sleep, he can’t eat, because the man he once loved the most in the world is about to stand trial, and potentially divulge secrets that will destroy England’s Scottish King. James has been king of England and Ireland for 13 years, and king of Scots for almost 50. Queen James: Passion, Plots & Power in the Court of Britain’s First King, Gareth Russell reporting, BBC 2026
James was nicknamed Queen James, a slur on both his foreign policy and his sexuality. ibid.
He’s often seen as a neurotic and rather unpeasant man. ibid.