London Plague under James I

A major outbreak of plague struck London in 1603 as James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I and travelled south to become James I of England. Mortality rose sharply and normal civic and court life was disrupted.

The epidemic affected the new regime’s public ceremonies and contributed to the movement of court and government away from infected districts. The coronation itself took place in July 1603 with precautions and reduced public celebration.

Steven Veerapen’s Coronation uses the plague-ridden early Jacobean capital as the setting for Ned Savage’s second fictional investigation. The epidemic and the new Stuart monarchy are historical; the murders and conspiracy are invented.