Elizabeth, in her twilight years, could pursue bold and sometimes reckless policies without concern for dynastic repercussions. She acted with the freedom of one who knew her lineage would end with her final breath. There would be no Tudor heirs to inherit the consequences of her actions, no Tudor children to face retribution for her choices. This liberation from dynastic responsibility had emboldened her to take risks that a younger monarch, or one with direct descendants, might have avoided.
James, by contrast, had been stability-oriented throughout his reign in Scotland, cautious and deliberate in his decisions. His every action was made with the knowledge that his sons and their sons after them would inherit both his throne and the consequences of his governance. The Stuart line stretched before him like a chain of obligation, each link binding him to prudence.
