How did England and Scotland reunite?

• A. The death of Elizabeth I
• B. A political marriage between England and Scotland
• C. The Act of Union
• D. The death of Elizabeth I and the accession of James VI of Scotland as James I of England

Answer: (D)

A dynastic succession creating a personal union is what united the crowns. When Elizabeth I died in 1603, James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne and became James I of England, so England and Scotland shared the same monarch. This linked the two kingdoms under one rule, bringing political alignment in foreign affairs and succession, but they remained legally separate with distinct parliaments and laws. The real political unification into one state came later, with the Act of Union in 1707 that created the Kingdom of Great Britain. A marriage, while it could strengthen ties, wouldn’t by itself unify the crowns; the crucial moment was James’s accession after Elizabeth’s death.