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Filled with ‘a number of male lovelies’: the surprising court of King James VI and I

27 September 2017

In early September, there was a sudden upsurge in interest in the sexuality of King James VI and I. This was most likely due to a very popular tweet comprising part of a timeline of notable LGBT events in the UK and associated commentary from Tumblr s.

For social historian Emma Dabiri, it’s no surprise that James was gay or bisexual — as his letters to George Villiers confirm, the two were in an intimate relationship.

King James I and George Villiers

Emma outlines the nature of the relationship between George Villiers and King James I.

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