Union of the Crowns in the British Isles

The Union of the Crowns refers to the situation that began in 1603 when King James VI of Scotland also became James I of England following the death of Queen Elizabeth I. This created a personal union where one monarch ruled both Scotland and England but kept separate governments and laws. Essentially, while the two countries remained distinct entities, they shared the same royal family. This laid the groundwork for stronger ties between Scotland and England, eventually leading to the formal political union in 1707, when they became the Kingdom of Great Britain.