Family connection
How were Elizabeth I of England and James VI and I related?
First cousins twice removed — through Margaret Tudor.
Why it matters
Henry VII married his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland in 1503. A century later that marriage made her great-grandson James the senior heir to the childless Elizabeth. The family tie explains James's claim; Robert Cecil's political preparation explains why it was accepted without a fight.
The line between them
- Elizabeth I of England 1533–1603
- Henry VIII of England 1491–1547
- Henry VII of England 1457–1509
- Margaret Tudor 1489–1541
- James V of Scotland 1512–1542
- Mary, Queen of Scots 1542–1587
- James VI and I 1566–1625
Related successions
- Why did Elizabeth I of England succeed Mary I?
Inheritance under the Third Succession Act and Henry VIII's will - Why did James VI and I succeed Elizabeth I of England?
Inheritance by blood, secured by political preparation - Why did Charles I of England succeed James VI and I?
Inheritance - Why did James VI and I succeed Mary, Queen of Scots?
Forced abdication of the queen; infant king under successive regents
Sources
Connection reviewed by HistorIQly. Part of House of Tudor.