FRANCIS DELARAM (1590-1627)
The High and mighty Prince IAMES KING of great Britane, Fraunce and Ireland, &c.
c.1616RCIN 601395
Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
His honour and the greatness of his name
Shall be, and make new nations.
William Shakespeare and John Fletcher,
Henry VIII, Act 4, Scene 5, lines 54 – 6
Soon after James VI of Scotland came to England as James I in 1603 he commanded that the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the acting company Shakespeare part-owned, became his: the King’s Men. As the King’s own players, Shakespeare and the rest of the company were part of James’s household and entitled to wear his livery. This rare print shows James VI and I on horseback with Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in the background.