King James I was the company's patron.
Before that it was Lord Hunsdon, Elizabeth I's Lord Chamberlain, hence the name. They changed their name to the King's Men when James I became their patron.
Can't you guess? Why do you think they were called the King's Men? Because their patron was the King of course.
It's James I
King James
Shakespeare's acting company was first known as Lord Chamberlain's Men. The name was changed to The Kings Men in 1603 when King James I ascended the throne and became the company's patron.
A charter. He himself was the patron of the company. All acting companies at the time had to have a noble patron by law. This was to prevent vagabonds and conmen from pretending to be acting companies.
They got a new patron. Originally their patron was Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain. After Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603, their patron was the King, James I. All Elizabethan theatre companies were the name of the patron and then "Men"; when the patron changed, the name changed.
It indicates (as the names of all Elizabethan companies did) the name of the patron of the company.
When the company first formed in 1594, they were known as Lord Hunsdon's Men after their patron. Soon after, when he received his appointemnt as the Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth, the name changed to reflect his new title and the company became the Lord Chamberlaon's Men. In 1603, King James I, who commissioned the new translation of the Bible, became the company's new patron and they became known as the King's Men.
Shakespeare's acting company was first known as Lord Chamberlain's Men. The name was changed to The Kings Men in 1603 when King James I ascended the throne and became the company's patron.
A charter. He himself was the patron of the company. All acting companies at the time had to have a noble patron by law. This was to prevent vagabonds and conmen from pretending to be acting companies.
James I, who became patron of the acting company Shakespeare belonged to and who regularly had them play the palace, much more often than Queen Elizabeth did.
He became their patron.
King James I, in 1603
They got a new patron. Originally their patron was Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain. After Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603, their patron was the King, James I. All Elizabethan theatre companies were the name of the patron and then "Men"; when the patron changed, the name changed.
It indicates (as the names of all Elizabethan companies did) the name of the patron of the company.
bb marly
Henry Wriothesley
When the company first formed in 1594, they were known as Lord Hunsdon's Men after their patron. Soon after, when he received his appointemnt as the Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth, the name changed to reflect his new title and the company became the Lord Chamberlaon's Men. In 1603, King James I, who commissioned the new translation of the Bible, became the company's new patron and they became known as the King's Men.
Shakespeare had nothing to do with the name of the acting company he co-founded. The name was given by the company's patron or sponsor. When the patron changed, so did the name of the company.
As their name clearly says, their patron was the king. King James I to be precise.