The Jacobean Royal Children’s Companies: The Duke of York’s/Prince Charles’s (I) Company, and the Lady Elizabeth’s Men

The story of the London playing companies that the royal children patronized is not well-documented. King James, having taken one company for himself and then allocated two more to his son and his wife, may have taken a personal hand in giving his two younger children companies when they were thought to be old enough, but how active the young patrons were in providing for their companies it is impossible to say. At first, the companies were assumed to owe some allegiance to their specific patrons when they performed at court. The two younger royal children, for instance, had special performances laid on for their personal pleasure. For the first years, most plays were performed to the king and Prince of Wales. This chapter looks at the history of the Jacobean royal children’s companies: The Duke of York’s/Prince Charles’s (I) Company and the Lady Elizabeth’s Men. It focuses on their performances, the plays they performed, the playhouses where they performed, their playing sharers, and their travelling records.