First printed in Edinburgh in 1599, the Basilikon Doron is a treatise on kingship, written by James VI of Scotland (1566-1625) in the form of a private letter to his eldest son Henry, Duke of Rothesay later Henry, Prince of Wales (1594-1612). It was reprinted in London in 1603 following James's accession to the English throne.

The Basilikon Doron lays out James's beliefs as to how a good king should rule his kingdom. It is divided into three parts: the first covering how to be a Christian king; the second covering practical aspects of kingship; and the third covering the king's behaviour in everyday life. The text uses examples from antiquity to illustrate points made and clearly demonstrates how James himself viewed kingship (although the printed editions were likely edited to appeal to a wider audience).

The major theme in the text is James's belief in the Divine Right of Kings, that is, the idea that monarchs were chosen by God, and thus their actions could only be judged by God. This ideology negatively affected James's relations with his English Parliament throughout his reign in England, and which continued into the reign of his son and successor, Charles I, with disastrous consequences.