Could King James I be Britain's first gay monarch? A new BBC documentary is set to revisit scandals from centuries ago, which could change what we know about the king07:03, 03 Jun 2026He wrote lustful letters about grabbing men’s thighs and brazenly invited a string of male favourites into his bedchambers - was King James I Britain’s first gay monarch?A bold new BBC documentary is set to stir up a centuries-old scandal, challenging everything we thought we knew about the renowned Jacobean King.James, I was the first King to rule Scotland, Ireland and England in the early 1600s. He commissioned the King James Bible, patronised Shakespeare and survived the infamous Gunpowder Plot, but for centuries his fascinating private life has been purposely obscured by historians and biographers… until now.Queen James, airing soon on BBC Two as part of the BBC’s Pride Month, delves into the sensational, emotional and politically charged relationships that defined one of Britain’s most controversial monarchs.From the young man who caught James’s eye after breaking his leg in a jousting accident, to the Duke he referred to as his “sweet child and wife”, tender letters shine a light on a string of romances.Historian Gareth Russell, documentary host and author of the biography Queen James, reveals: “Some would say English Kings Edward II and William II were gay, but with James I there’s mountains of firsthand evidence, not just from James but from the boyfriends and lovers as well.“In remarkable letters, James is talking about grabbing his lover’s thighs and pinning them in his arms, and says, ‘Remember that wonderful night, when I climbed into your bed?’.“His lover George writes that he wants to grab onto James’s bedpost and never let go, and feel James’s legs in his arms again. How on Earth did anyone ever think these relationships were platonic?“In one of James’s last speeches to parliament, he said war was like a woman - unless it was absolutely necessary he did not wish to enter it.”Nicknamed Queen James, a slur on both his sexuality and “effeminate” foreign policy, the King’s private desires also shaped public power. In the documentary, which features readings of the King’s letters by Scottish actor James McArdle, Gareth explains: “The nickname Queen James was used to mock his private life and also his refusal and aversion to war.”The Royal Court was dominated by a series of dashing, handsome men, whose influence started when they entered the bedchambers at Hampton Court Palace.Everybody within the Palace accepted this, even the King’s wife Queen Anna, who preferred this to the interference of another woman.Gareth says: “A mistress can be publicly shown, and might even outshine the Queen. So while King James could have favourite men inside the Palace, they can’t ever be shown in public as a rival to the Queen. This left Anna standing centre stage, which is exactly where she liked to be.”One of the first major known male relationships of the King was with Robert Carr, a young nobleman who fell off his horse while jousting in 1607 and broke his leg.James rushed to his aid and then visited him on a daily basis. Gareth says: “It wasn’t long before all he could talk about and think about was Robert Carr.”But after a few years, Carr got too big for his boots, and when his attention turned to a noblewoman called Frances Howard, he fell out of favour. Ultimately, Carr was imprisoned for murder after conspiring with Frances, who poisoned a political advisor for blackmailing them over Carr’s personal secrets.In the summer of 1614, James saw George Villiers for the first time. Anna, a shrewd operator, approved of the match as she hated Robert Carr. George’s mother, the ruthlessly ambitious Countess of Buckinghamshire, was also pulling the strings.Last year’s Sky period drama Mary & George, starring Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine and Tony Curran, dramatised this part of the real life scandal, as Mary tried to make her son George Villiers the King’s new favourite.They needn’t have worried - James fell for the stunningly handsome dancer at one of the court’s ‘masque’ spectacles. In 1622, James wrote to George: “I desire only to live in this world for your sake. So God bless you my sweet wife,” and “I care for nothing save that I might have you in my arms again.”‌Gareth says: “My research uncovered that James had six lovers across the course of his life. James was very much unashamed of his sexuality, but intelligent enough to know that he could not take it beyond the palace walls.“During the Victorian period, when homosexuality started to be seen as a mental illness, the shutters came down on the subject. Historians and academics decided not to publish the erotic and romantic letters, which they believed would corrupt public morality.”Instead historians recorded “just good friends”, until recent years when these passionate love letters finally resurfaced. The drama Mary & George, as well as the 400th anniversary of King James I’s death in 1625 last year, sparked a renewed fascination in the monarch’s love life.‌Gareth says: “Fortunately the letters may have been kept hidden, but they were never destroyed. They were scattered in archives in England, Scotland and Ireland.“Now we're at a point now where these letters can be understood to be just part of his story, and they're not an insult, and they're not corruptive, they're quite beautiful.”Queen James airs on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on June 18th at 9pmArticle continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.