The Honours of Scotland include the Scottish crown, Sword of State, and Sceptre. They were first used together at the coronation of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543. They are kept in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
The Sword of State
The Sword of State was presented to King James IV by Pope Julius II on Easter Sunday in 1507 at the Holyrood abbey church. It was made by Domenico da Sutri.
The blade of the sword is 39 inches long and 1.7 inches wide. The blade is etched near the hilt. One side is etched with the figure of Saint Peter and the other has the figure of Saint Paul. The handle is a total of 17 inches long with dolphin-shaped quillons. The handle is decorated with oak leaves and acorns.
The scabbard is 44 inches long. It is made of wood and covered in dark red velvet. The front of the scabbard bears the arms of Pope Julius II and the symbol of the Papacy – crossed keys linked together by a cord and surmounted by the papal hat. The rest of the scabbard is divided into three areas and decorated with acorns, dolphins, and masks.
The sword belt is 59 inches long. It is made of woven silk and gold thread and features the arms of Pope Julius. The belt is fastened with a silver-gilt buckle.
The Sceptre
In 1528 King James V became king of Scotland and sought to enhance the symbols of sovereignty, particularly the Sceptre and the Crown. He began with the Sceptre. The Scpetre is the oldest piece in the crown jewels. Tradition states that it was a gift from Pope Alexander VI in 1494.
In 1536 James commissioned Adam Leys, a goldsmith from Edinburgh, to change the Sceptre. Leys began by lengthening the shaft. The handle of the scepter is attached to a hexagonal rod that is engraved with urns, leaves, and masks on three of the six sides. The finial is flanked by dolphin. Between the dolphins are three figures, each under a Gothic canopy. The first figure is of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. To the right is Saint James and to the left is Saint Andrew, the patron of St. Andrew.
On top of these figures is a globe of rock crystal. Crystal was believed to have mystical properties in Middle Ages. The top of the scepter is a golden glove topped by a pearl.
The Crown of Scotland
In 1538, King James V married Mary of Guise-Lorrain. He ordered the creation of a new crown to wear to her coronation. The crown James inherited from his father was damaged. It was delicate and did not contain much gold. It had been repaired at least twice in the last 30 years and a 1539 inventory showed further damage, including the lose of one fleur de lis.
In January 1540, James appointed goldsmith John Mosman to refashion the Crown of Scotland. Mosman dismantled the old crown and removed its stones and pearls. The crown was melted down and Mosman added 41 ounces of gold mined at Crawford Moor in Upper Clydesdale. The crown is encrusted with 22 gemstones, including garnets and amethysts, 20 precious stones, and 68 pearls.
The four arches of the crown are decorated with gold and red oak leaves. At the intersection of the arches is a gold orb painted blue with gold starts. The workmanship on the orb is French and it is possible that James brought it back from Paris in 1537. The orb is surmounted by a large cross decorated in gold and black enamel and pearls.
James ordered a purple velvet bonnet from tailor Thomas Arthur of Edinburgh to fit inside the crown. The bonnet had to be replaced several times. James VII (James II of England) ordered the color of the bonnet be changed to red. The present bonnet was made in 1993.
The completed crown weighs three pounds ten ounces. James wore the new crown for the first time at Mary’s coronation on February 22, 1540. After King James VI became King James I of England in 1603, the Honours became a substitute for the monarch. They represent the monarch and, to this day, are treated accordingly.
Sources:
Burnett, Charles J. and Christopher J. Tabraham. The Honours of Scotland: The Story of the Scottish Crown Jewels. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland, 1993.
Edinburgh Castle. "The Honours of Scotland" (accessed August 12, 2009)
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