I'm John Batchel with Professor Claire Jackson, who's written an amazingly fun book, given all the death in it and the backstabbing and the executions.

And this is the 17th century.

We're talking about a time of great upheaval in Britain that becomes Mother Britain.

And we'll touch upon the Jamestown Colony and the Pilgrims.

However, right now we have to deal with the fact that James in Scotland was expected to marry.

But who and how?

Because we have Paris and we have Madrid, both Catholic regents with daughters,

and then we have a few choices in the north where they're Protestants. But we have the

tension within Britain about which way James is going to go. At the same time, I think you write

Professor that he was in no hurry to marry. Is that correct?

I think, as he makes very clear, I mean, James is amazingly upfront in the communications with his

subjects. And when he decides to go and collect to Anna from Denmark, he writes a letter to his

subjects of Scotland. And he says, left to my own devices, I would be in no hurry to marry.

However, I am not anybody.

I'm a king and he makes a few jibes about the irresponsibility of monarchs

who don't marry and secure the succession.

And that's sort of in Elizabeth's direction.

But he regards it as his dynastic duty.

I mean, left to himself,

I see no reason why he would have chosen to marry. But he is a king and he regards it as a

supreme dynastic duty. As you say, it's difficult to find a Protestant. He thinks about one of

the Navarre branches of the French royal house who are Protestant, but Catherine

...