4. Sharer in the King’s Men
The Royal Patent, 1603
Although James VI of Scotland was proclaimed king of England on 24 March 1603, it took him over a month to arrive in London. Within ten days of his arrival, and despite the theatres being closed due to plague, he gave instructions for turning the Lord Chamberlain’s Men into the King’s Men under the direct patronage of the monarch. Shakespeare’s name appears first among the players, above Burbage’s. A sharer bore financial risk and received financial reward. This was not an honorary association.
The National Archives, Kew. LC 5/135, p. 191. Letters Patent issued 19 May 1603, licensing Lawrence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage and others to perform plays. This document is inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The National Archives.