Edinburgh Castle
Honours of Scotland
- These are Scotland's crown jewels.
- It's the collective name for a jewel encrusted crown, an elaborate sword and a sceptre.
- They date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
- They are the oldest regalia in the British Isles (the emblems of royalty).
History
- They were first used together to crown the infant Mary Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle in 1543.
- They were then also used at the coronations of James VI in 1567, and Charles I in 1633 before the English Civil War.
- During this tumultuous period in the mid-17th century they were hidden to keep them safe from Oliver Cromwell. They weren't used again until the Restoration when Charles II was crowned in 1651.
- Firstly they were hidden at Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, then were smuggled out during a siege and buried a few miles away in Kinneff parish church for nine years - until the monarchy was restored in 1660.
- They were then used at sittings of the first Scottish Parliament to represent the monarch.
- After the Treaty of Union in 1707, they weren't needed so, just like in a fairytale, they were locked away in a chest in Edinburgh Castle and forgotten about for over 100 years.
- It wasn't until 1818 when pressure from Sir Walter Scott brought about a search for them in the castle that they were found.
- They were hidden again during the Second World War for fear of a Nazi invasion.
- In total, they've been hidden away three times.
