In 1603, James VI of Scotland also became James I of England on succeeding his relative Elizabeth I. This portrait was painted after his move to London, probably in the court painter John de Critz’s studio, where replicas and variants of official portraits were made to meet the demand for images of the new king. In his hat, James wears the “Three Brothers”, a famous Renaissance jewel made up of three large rubies (here colourless), a diamond and pearls.