Origin of Name
The Kellie/Kelly Pearl the largest freshwater pearl
ever discovered in the 2,000-year history of the Scottish pearl
industry, was found in 1621 in a tributary of the river Ythan in
Aberdeen shire, and was later presented to King James VI, who got the
rare jewel incorporated in the Scottish Crown, together with other
pearls, rubies, diamonds and amethysts already on the crown. The crown
was subsequently used for the coronation of Charles I in 1633 and
Charles II in 1651. In 1707 after the Act of Union, the Kingdom of
Scotland and the Kingdom of England were unified to form the Kingdom of
Great Britain. The Scottish Crown Jewels also known as the "Honors of
Scotland," which included the Crown, the Scepter and the Sword, now
became redundant, and
were locked up in a chest in Edinburgh Castle and forgotten for over a
hundred years, until rediscovered in 1818 by a group of people led by
Sir Walter Scott. It is not known exactly why the pearl was christened
as Kellie/Kelly Pearl, but in all probability the name must have
originated from the founder of the pearl, in accordance with established
practice of naming famous pearls after their founders. The name
Kellie/Kelly also refers to a clan name in Scotland, and the name
of a Barony in Fife, Scotland, from which the title of Earl of
Kellie/Kelly, a peerage title in the Peerage of Scotland, was created in
1619, for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard for James VI
& I. It is not known whether there is any relationship between these
names and the name of the pearl.
Crown of Scotland
Characteristics of
the pearl
The Kellie/Kelly Pearl is said to be the largest
freshwater pearl ever discovered not only in Scotland but the entire
United Kingdom. However besides this significant fact, unfortunately
none of the other characteristics of the pearl, such as its size, color,
shape, luster, surface quality and nacre quality are not known. Out of
the three basic shapes found in pearls, spherical, symmetrical and
irregular (baroque), the common shape we come across in freshwater
pearls is baroque, followed by symmetrical. Spherical and near spherical
shapes among freshwater pearls is an extreme rarity. One such natural
spherical pearl discovered from the freshwater mussel, Margaritifera
margaritifera in Scotland in 1967, is the famous 44-grain Abernethy
Pearl, which is now displayed in a glass covered case at Cairncross
Jewelers, in Perth, Scotland. It is not known whether the Kellie/Kelly
Pearl is also a spherical pearl, but given the fact that it was
incorporated on the Scottish Royal Crown suggests that the pearl must be
necessarily spherical or symmetrical to match with the Scottish pearls
already on the crown. A baroque pearl having an irregular shape would
have presented considerable difficulties for the designers of the crown,
in finding a suitable place on the crown, without compromising its
symmetry.
As far as the color of the pearl is concerned, it is
well known that the most common color that occurs among freshwater
pearls formed in Margaritifera margaritifera, is white, the predominant
color of the nacre of this freshwater mussel. Other colors that are
occasionally found are cream, yellow and pink. The Scottish Crown
refashioned from an older crown in 1540, by the Royal Goldsmith John
Mosman, for James V, was incorporated with 42 gemstones, and Scottish
freshwater pearls taken from the older crown. Most of these freshwater
pearls undoubtedly would have been white given the fact that white is
the commonest color found among these pearls, which also enables the
designer more freedom of choice in picking out matching pairs of pearls,
to be placed in symmetrical positions. Thus when the Kellie Pearl was
discovered in 1621, it would have been easily incorporated in the crown,
having a color that matches the color of most of the other pearls in the
crown.
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History of the
Kellie/Kelly Pearl
Discovery of the
pearl
The pearl is
discovered in 1621 and delivered to the safe custody of the Lord Provost
of Aberdeen
The Kellie/Kelly Pearl was discovered in 1621 in a
tributary of the River Ythan in Aberdeenshire, and was one of the
largest ever found in Scotland. Around this time commercial exploitation
of the freshwater mussel Margaritifera margaritifera had developed into
a large scale industry in Britain and Ireland. In Scotland, one of the
main regions where the distribution of the freshwater mussel
Margaritifera margaritifera is concentrated, in its holarctic range,
that include the entire northern temperate regions of the world, over
160 rivers were exploited for the freshwater pearls. Scotland became the
center of the freshwater pearl industry in the world. The government was
compelled to employ the services of river bailiffs to supervise the
exploitation and to ensure that all valuable pearls reached the king's
treasury. Perhaps, it was in this context that the extraordinary pearl,
Kellie/Kelly, discovered in the Ythan River eventually reached the safe
custody of the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, David Rutherford (1620-22),
soon after its discovery.
The Lord Provost
of Aberdeen presents the pearl to King James VI & I
The pearl in turn was presented by the Lord
Provost of Aberdeen to King James VI, who ascended the throne of
Scotland, as King of Scots in 1567, and subsequently in 1603 succeeded Queen
Elizabeth I of England and Ireland, as King James I. King James I after
ascending the throne of England and Ireland, moved his royal household
from Edinburgh to London, but the Scottish Crown Jewels remained in
Edinburgh Castle during his absence, and were carried to the sittings of
Parliament of Scotland to symbolize the sovereign's presence and the
royal assent to legislation. Thus when the Kellie/Kelly Pearl was
discovered in 1621, four years before the death of King James VI & I,
the Scottish Crown where the pearl finally ended up was still lying in
the Edinburgh Castle.
The office of the
Lord Provost of Aberdeen
The Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen is the
convener of the Aberdeen City Council, and in that capacity serves as
the chairman of the city council and the first citizen of the city. It
is a position equivalent to that of Mayor in English city councils. The
Lord Provost is elected by the members of the city council, every four
years following local government elections. While the role of the Lord
Provost of Aberdeen involves the active promotion of Aberdeen at home
and abroad, his functions as the Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen City also
includes welcoming the Royal family and visiting Heads of State. The
Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen also holds the title of Lord High
Admiral of the North Seas and Vice Admiral of the Coast of Great Britain
and Ireland.
River Ythan where
the Kellie/Kelly Pearl was discovered
The River Ythan, is a river in the northeast of
Scotland, originating at the Ythan Wells, 245 meters (800 feet)
above sea level. The river is about 63 km (39 miles) long, running
through the villages of Fyvie and Methlick and the town of Ellon, to
reach the sea at Newburgh, about 19 km (12 miles) north of Aberdeen.
Before the river enters the North Sea it forms a 6.3 km long (4 mile)
estuary at Newburgh. The Ythan estuary is famous for its sea trout and
salmon, two of the fish species that act a host to the glochidia larvae
of freshwater mussels. The Ythan estuary area is a habitat for a large
number of bird species, such as ducks, waders, sea birds, geese,
butterflies, moths, spiders, and other marine life, as well as numerous
plant species, and thus designated a Special Protection Area. The
estuaries tidal action extends a full seven kilometers inland. The Ythan
river above the tidal zone, used to support large stocks of freshwater
pearl mussels, that was fished since ancient times. Freshwater mussels
were also found in all the tributaries of the river, including the two
main tributaries, Little Water and Ebrie. It was in one of these
tributaries in 1621 that the largest freshwater pearl ever discovered in
Scotland was found, and now adorns the Crown of Scotland. Freshwater
mussels in this river are now scarce as populations have declined due to
factors such as poor water quality, eutrophication, sedimentation etc.
The History of the
Crown Jewels of Scotland - Honors of Scotland
The Honors of Scotland
The Honors of
Scotland, the symbols of sovereignty of the Scottish nation
The Crown of Scotland was one of the three components
of the Scottish Regalia or the Scottish Crown Jewels, also known as the
"Honors of Scotland" the symbols of sovereignty of the nation of
Scotland, before its union with the England to form the
United Kingdom in 1707. The other components of the Scottish regalia are
the Scepter of Scotland, that was a gift from Pope Alexander VI to King
James IV in 1494, and the Sword of Scotland, another papal gift, by Pope
Julius II to King James IV in 1507.
Honors of Scotland
The main features
of the modern version of the Crown of Scotland
The modern version of the Crown of Scotland
originated in the year 1540, when the old crown that was used by King
James IV, was refashioned by the royal goldsmith, John Mosman, for King
James V, who wore the crown for the coronation of his second wife, Mary
of Guise, as queen consort at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, in the year of
its manufacture. The bonnet of velvet and ermine was added to the crown,
which had two arches, on which a golden monde sat, topped off by a
cross. In the remodeling more gold was added to the crown, which was
mined from the Crawford Moor Mine in Scotland. In addition to the
incorporation of 42 gemstones such as rubies, diamonds and amethysts,
Scottish freshwater pearls taken from the old crown were also added. The
weight of the crown was 3 lb. 10 oz. equivalent to 1.64 kg.
Mary, Queen of Scots
- A short biography
The first time the
new Crown of Scotland was used for the coronation of a Scottish monarch
King James V wore the new Crown of Scotland in 1540
for the coronation of his wife, Mary of Guise. However, the first time
the new crown was used for the coronation of a Scottish monarch was in
1543, after the child monarch, Mary, Queen of Scots, the only surviving
legitimate child of King James V, ascended the throne of Scotland, after
the death of her father on December 14, 1542. Mary was just six days old
when her father died. Her mother, Mary of Guise was appointed as regent,
and Mary was crowned nine months later, on September 9, 1543. Mary
married Francis, the Dauphin of France in 1558, and when Francis
ascended the throne of France as Francis II in July 1559, after the
death of his father Henry II, she became the Queen Consort of France.
Mary held the dual title of Queen of Scots and the Queen Consort of
France only for a short period, until the death of her husband in
December 1560 of an ear infection.
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of
Scots, forced to abdicate in favor of her son James VI, after 24 years
on the throne
After the death of her husband she returned to
Scotland in August 1561, and assumed her responsibilities as the Queen
of Scotland. Four years later she remarried, taking her first cousin
Henry Stuart also known as Lord Darnley as her second husband, by whom
she had a son James, born on June 19, 1566. However, her second marriage
ran into problems and in February 1567, Darnley was found dead in the
garden at Kirk o'Field, after a huge explosion in the house. Not long
afterwards she married James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, who was
generally believed to be Lord Darnley's murderer. This led to an
uprising against her, and she was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, and
forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son James on July 24,
1567. Mary made an unsuccessful attempt to regain her throne in 1568,
and then escaped to England, seeking protection from Queen Elizabeth I,
her father's first cousin. Elizabeth instead of providing protection,
placed her under arrest, as she felt her position insecure, because Mary
was considered by many to be the legitimate heir to the British crown
after the death of Mary I (Mary Tudor) of England in 1558. Mary was placed under
confinement in Sheffield Castle for eighteen years, and finally put on
trial for treason for alleged involvement in three plots to assassinate
Elizabeth, and take over the English throne; and executed by beheading
on February 8, 1587, aged 44 years.
Queen Elizabeth I of England-
Armada Portrait
James VI & I,
"King of Great Britain" - A
short biography
The new Crown of
Scotland used for the second time for the coronation of a child monarch
James VI was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scotts,
and ascended the throne on July 24, 1567, when he was just one year old,
after his mother was imprisoned and forced to abdicate in his favor. One
month later James was formally crowned as King James VI of Scotland, and
the modern version of the Crown of Scotland was used again for his
coronation. The boy grew up under the care of different regents, who
ruled on his behalf. The boy's education was supervised by the historian
and poet George Buchanan, who instilled in him a lifelong passion for
literature and learning. The boy eventually turned out to be one of the
most educated and enlightened monarchs in the history of Britain with
several works to his credit such as "Daemonologie," "True Law of Free
Monarchies," and "Basilikon Doron," Coincidentally, the period of his
rule also produced literary legends such as William Shakespeare, Sir
Francis Bacon, Ben Johnson and John Donne.
King James I (of England) and VI (of Scotland).
The Union of the
Crowns, James VI succeeds Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, as the King of
England and Ireland
James VI, assumed full control of his government in
1581, and on March 24, 1603, succeeded the last Tudor monarch of England
and Ireland, Queen Elizabeth I, who died without issue, as King James I
of England, Ireland and Scotland, and ruled for 22 years, until his
death in 1625, at the age of 58. King James I, married Princess Anne of
Denmark in August 1589, by whom he had three surviving children, and his
second surviving child Charles I, became his successor. James' greatest
ambition was to build on the personal union of the crowns of Scotland
and England achieved after his ascension to the throne of England, and to establish a permanent union of the crowns, under one monarch,
one parliament and one law, a plan that was opposed in both countries.
The House of Commons refused to grant him the title "King of Great
Britain" which he later assumed by proclamation. James achieved great
successes in foreign policy and international trade. He brought
the long Armada war with Spain to an end, and expanded the activities of
the British East India Company and established trade contacts with
Japan. James' belief in the divine right of kings as propounded in the
absolute theory of monarchy set out in his book "The True Law of Free
Monarchies" always brought him into constant conflict with Parliament,
which he considered subservient to the monarchy. These conflicts
persisted throughout his reign and well into the reign of his successor
King Charles I, that precipitated the civil war culminating in the
execution of Charles I. One of his greatest legacies is the standard
version of the bible known as the King James Version, published in 1608,
and still in widespread use among protestants.
King Charles I
His early life,
marriage and coronation
King Charles I was the second son of King James VI &
I and Anne of Denmark, and succeeded his father on his death on March
27, 1625, at the age of 25 years. Charles came under the influence of
his father's favorite George Villiers, the Ist Duke of Buckingham, from
the time he became the Prince of Wales until the death of Buckingham in
1628, just three years after he ascended the throne. Buckingham had a
great influence on both Charles' personal life as well as during his
initial years of rule, until his assassination in 1628. After earlier
attempts by Charles to marry Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, before he
ascended the throne of England, failed, due to unacceptable
conditions laid down by King Philip III of Spain, he married Henrietta
Maria of France, a Roman Catholic on May 11, 1625, for which
parliamentary approval had been granted during the time of his father
James I. The coronation of Charles I was held on February 2, 1626, at
Westminster Abbey, but his Scottish coronation was held much later in
1633 at Holyrood House Abbey in Edinburgh.
King Charles I of England, Ireland and Scotland
Charles Ist's firm
belief in Royal Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings
Charles I was a firm believer in "Royal Absolutism"
and the "Divine Right of Kings" as propounded by his father James I, in
his book "The True Law of Free Monarchies." According to this theory as
stated in his book, "Kings arose before any estates or ranks of men,
before any parliaments were holden, or laws made, and by them was the
land distributed which at first was wholly theirs. And so it follows of
necessity that king were the authors and makers of the laws, and not the
laws of the kings."
According to this theory a king may impose new laws
by royal prerogative, but must also pay heed to tradition and God, who
would stir up such scourges as pleaseth him, for punishment of wicked
kings. In his Basilikon Doron, which was a practical guide to kingship
written for the benefit of his heirs, he states, "Hold no
parliaments, but for the necessity of new laws, which would be but
seldom."
The difference
between James Ist's and Charles Ist's style of rule
Both James I and Charles I, tried to uphold the
"Divine Right of Kings" during their period of rule, but the difference
was, while James I was prepared to listen to the views of his subjects,
and favored compromise and consensus, Charles I was very stubborn and
adamant and always stood firmly by his decisions, as he believed there
was no need to compromise or even explain his rules as he was only
answerable to God. His line of thinking was explicit in his well known
saying "Kings are not bound to give an account of their actions but to
God alone."
Charles Ist's
personal rule without parliament for 11 years
Thus Charles I right from the onset of his rule was
set on a confrontational course with his parliament each trying to limit
the powers of the other, and parliament not approving sufficient funds
for Charles to prosecute his war efforts against Spain. During the
course of his rule Charles dismissed and reconvened parliament as he
pleased
and imposed taxes on the people by royal prerogative without the consent of the parliament.
Things came to a head in 1629, when Charles decided to dispense with
parliament completely and made peace with his enemies Spain and France.
Charles felt that he could rule without parliament as long as he avoided
war. For a period of 11 years from 1629 to 1640 he ruled without
parliament, a period that came to be known as "personal rule" or "Eleven
Years' Tyranny." Personal rule would have continued indefinitely during
his period of rule had it not been for the Scottish invasion of England
precipitated by Charles' attempt to reform the Presbyterian Church in
Scotland to bring it in line with the Anglican Church.
Charles reconvenes
parliament in 1640, but confrontation between the two sides increase
Charles summoned parliament again to seek funds to
subdue the Scots, which was granted, but the wars that resulted known as
the Bishop's Wars resulted in humiliating defeats for the king.
Confrontation between the king and the parliament increased in spite of
the fact that Charles granted many concessions to parliament, and
Charles was forced to make peace with the Scots in order to increase
support for his anti-parliamentary stand.
Charles I leaves
London and sets up court in Oxford. Both sides arm themselves and civil
war breaks out in 1642
The continued confrontation led to breakdown in
government in England, and Charles not feeling safe in London moved
towards the north of England and began raising an army against the
parliament, and sent his Queen Henrietta Maria abroad to raise money for
his war efforts. Both sides continued to arm themselves and Charles I
set up his court in Oxford. Civil war broke out on October 26,
1642, and continued into 1643 and 1644, until the Battle of Naseby
tipped the military balance in favor of the parliamentary forces led by
Oliver Cromwell. Charles escaped to Scotland and sought refuge with the
Scottish Presbyterian army at Newark, who in turn delivered Charles to
the parliamentary forces after arriving at an agreement.
Charles is
imprisoned by the parliamentary forces, but later taken into the custody
of a section of the New Model Army, who persuade him to go to Isle of Wight
Charles was imprisoned at Holdenby House in
Northamptonshire, but later taken into the safe custody of a breakaway
group of the New Model
Army led by George Joyce, and moved to Hampton Court. Charles was
persuaded to go into exile to a foreign country like France, or move to
Isle of Wight, to the custody of Colonel Robert Hammond. He chose the
latter believing Hammond to be sympathetic towards his cause, but it
turned out that he was opposed to him, and he confined Charles to Carisbrooke Castle.
Charles makes a
second unsuccessful attempt to recapture his throne with Scottish help
Charles try to bargain with different sections while
at Carisbrooke, and finally came to an agreement with the Scottish
Presbyterians to help him regain his throne in return for in return for
establishment of Presbyterianism in England and Scotland for a trial
period. Accordingly the Royalists forces again rose up in July 1648,
starting the second civil war, and the Scots invaded England. Pitched
battles were fought by the parliamentary forces in many places to put
down the uprisings, that also involved prolonged seiges. Finally with
the defeat of the Scots at the battle of Preston, the odds were tilted
against the royalists in winning the war.
The civil war
comes to an end and Charles I is put on trial for high treason, found
guilty and executed
The civil war came to an end and the victorious
parliamentary forces led by Oliver Cromwell ordered that Charles be
moved at the end of 1648 to Hurst Castle, and thereafter to Windsor
Castle. In January 1649, the House of Commons passed an act of
parliament creating a court to try Charles for treason. A High Court of
Justice was set up consisting of 135 commissioners, and the Solicitor
General led the prosecution. Charles was charged for high treason and
other crimes, and his trial began on January 20, 1649. Charles refused
to enter a plea, claiming that no court had jurisdiction over a monarch.
His contention was that his authority to rule came directly from God,
and by the laws and traditions of England when he was crowned and
anointed, and that the power wielded by those trying him was derived
from the barrel of a gun. The trial went ahead despite his objections,
and Charles was found guilty of the charge of treason. Fifty nine of the
commissioners signed Charles' death warrant, on January 29, 1649. After
the ruling, he was moved to the Palace of Whitehall, where the execution
was to take place the next day. Finally, on Tuesday January 30, 1649,
Charles I was executed by beheading. His famous last words were, "I
shall go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no
disturbance can be."
Oliver Cromwell
destroys all symbols of the ousted monarchy
After the execution of the king, the parliamentarians
declared a republic, known as the commonwealth of England. During this
period while the parliament exercised both executive and legislative
powers, a smaller Council of State was appointed which also exercised
executive functions. Oliver Cromwell was appointed a member of this
council.
Oliver Cromwell ordered the melting down and
dispersal of all the crown jewels of England, the powerful symbols of
the monarchy, that had been used in the coronation of kings since time
immemorial, so that no future monarch would be able to make use of them.
Little did he know that destroying symbols may have only a marginal
effect on a society which had been ruled by monarchs for thousands of
years. The destruction of the crown jewels of England by Oliver
Cromwell, did not prevent the restoration of the monarchy, not long
after his death, under the supervision of the very same army, that
eliminated the monarchy in the first place.
Oliver Cromwell- Member of Parliament
Cromwell invades and
subdues the Irish
While the parliamentarians were busy in England
trying to work out a viable alternative to the monarchy it had just
eliminated, the royalists had regrouped in Ireland and Scotland.
Cromwell was chosen by parliament to lead a campaign to crush the
royalists and their allies, the Irish Confederate Catholics in Ireland.
Cromwell's forces invaded Ireland in 1649 and within nine months was
able to capture most of the eastern and northern parts of the country,
after several bloody massacres. In the midst of his Ireland campaign,
news reached Cromwell that Charles II, the son of the executed king had
landed in Scotland and had been proclaimed king. Handing over the
command of his Irish campaign to Henry Ireton and Edmund Ludlow,
Cromwell returned to England on May 26, 1650, to tackle the new
situation.
Cromwell invades and
occupies Scotland
Cromwell then turned his attention towards Scotland,
and before sending in his troops appealed to the Scottish Presbyterians,
his former allies in the first English civil war, to reconsider their
position in aligning themselves with the royalists. His appeal rejected
Cromwell invaded Scotland, and after some initial set backs, had the war
going in his favor, and at the Battle of Dunbar, killed 4,000 Scottish
soldiers, took 10,000 prisoners, and captured the capital city of
Edinburgh. While Cromwell was engaged in Scotland, in the following year
Charles II and his allies invaded England, with a view of capturing
London, and Cromwell and his forces pursued them moving southwards, and
a battle ensued at Worcester in September 1651, in which the last major
Scottish royalist army was decimated, and most of the prisoners-of-war
taken either died of disease or sent to penal colonies in Barbados.
After the conquest Scotland came under the direct rule of the
commonwealth from England, and was kept under military occupation by the
forces of the commonwealth until 1660.
The coronation of
Charles II and the transfer of the crown jewels of Scotland to Dunnottar
Castle
Immediately after the execution of Charles I on
January 30, 1649, the Scottish Parliament met on February 5, 1649 in
Edinburgh and proclaimed Charles II, the son of Charels I as the King of
Scots. However, he was crowned King of Scots only after he landed in
Scotland, and the coronation took place in Scone on January 1, 1651.
This was the last time the Crown of Scotland and the other components of
the "Scottish honors" used in the coronation of a king in Scotland. While
the coronation of Charles was taking place in Scone, the capital city
Edinburgh had already fallen to Cromwell's forces, and it was not
possible to return the "Honors of Scotland" to Edinburgh Castle, from
where it was taken to Scone. Cromwell's army was now fast advancing on
Scone, and Charles II fearing that the same fate might befall the "Honors
of Scotland," as the English Crown Jewels already destroyed by Cromwell,
ordered the Earl Marischal to move the "Honors" and his personal papers
to the safety of Dunnottar Castle, the home of the Earls of Marischal.
The duty of the Earl of Marischal was to oversee the ceremonial
activities in the Scottish Court, that included coronations.
Dunnottar Castle
©
Official Website
Cromwell's troops
besiege Dunnottar Castle, but the "Honors of Scotland" are smuggled out
of the castle and buried under the floor of a church
Dunnottar Castle was defended by a small garrison of
70 men, and Cromwell's forces learning that the "Honors of Scotland" had
been moved to the castle besieged it, but the 70 men defending the
castle were able to hold out for eight months against the invading
forces. However, it soon became evident that fall of the castle was
imminent, and something had to be done to save the "Honors of Scotland."
The crown jewels that included the crown, scepter and sword, were
bundled and lowered over the seaward side of the castle, where a serving
woman under the pretext of collecting seaweed, received the bundle, and
carried it to a church at Kinneff several miles to the south and
delivered it to the minister of the Church. The minister, Reverend James
Grainger and his wife, wrapped the jewels securely in linen cloth,
and buried them under the clay floor in an isolated area of the church.
At regular intervals of about three months, they brought out the jewels
in the night, to expose them to the air, in order to keep them
damp-free, and preserve them from any injury. In this manner the crown
jewels remained hidden for nine years throughout the period of the
commonwealth, while the English troops were constantly on the look out
for the hidden jewels. After the capture of the Dunnottar Castle
by Cromwell's troops, the occupants of the house were rigorously
interrogated but the secret of the "Honors" never revealed.
The death of Oliver
Cromwell and the restoration of the monarchy
Oliver Cromwell was sworn in as the "Lord Protector"
for life, of England, Ireland and Scotland under a new constitution, on
December 16, 1653, an office wielding executive powers to replace the
ousted monarchy. He served in this capacity for five-years until
1658, when he was struck down by an attack of malarial fever and kidney
infection. Cromwell's health declined rapidly and he died at Whitehall,
on Friday, September 3, 1658. Cromwell was buried after an elaborate
funeral ceremony at Westminster Abbey. He was succeeded by his son
Richard as "Lord Protector," but unlike his father, he had no power base
either in parliament or the army, and in May 1659 the army forced him to
resign, bringing an end to the protectorate. Thus the death of Cromwell
precipitated a political crisis, a power vacuum for which no proper
mechanism was put in place during his life time. The experiment with
republican rule was a dismal failure. After the enormous suffering
brought to bear on the people of England, Ireland and Scotland during
the long civil war, the shedding of so much of blood of so many innocent
people, and the killing of a monarch by beheading, the parliamentarians
led by Oliver Cromwell were not able to produce a viable alternative to
the traditional monarchy that ruled these nations over the centuries.
Thus the army led by George Monck, the English governor of Scotland, was
forced to restore the traditional monarchy in 1660, and invite Charles
II to assume his traditional role as the king of England, Ireland and
Scotland.
King Charles II of England ,Ireland and Scotland.
The "Honors of
Scotland" are retrieved from the church floor and returned to Edinburgh
Castle
After the restoration of the monarchy in May 1660,
the "Honors of Scotland" was retrieved from its hiding place in the
church at Kinneff, and returned to King Charles II, who ordered that the
"Honors" be returned to the Edinburgh Castle. Charles II was officially
crowned as the King of England, Ireland and Scotland, at Westminster
Abbey, on April 23, 1661. While Charles II held court in London, the
Scottish regalia remained in the Edinburgh Castle and was carried to the
Scottish parliament whenever sittings were held, signifying the
sovereign's presence and his consent to the passing of each Act.
James II, Mary II and
William III, Prince of Orange
Charles II died in 1685 and was succeeded by his
brother James II & VII, who after a short period of rule lasting 3 years
escaped to France during the Glorious Revolution, and was succeeded by
his daughter Mary II, who was declared the Queen, and his son-in-law,
William III, the Prince of Orange, who jointly ruled England, Ireland
and Scotland. Mary II died in 1694 of small pox, and William III
continued to rule alone until his death in 1702. Mary and William had no
children, and therefore Wiliam III was succeeded by Mary's sister
Princess Anne, who became the Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on
March 8, 1702.
Queen Anne and the
signing of the Treaty of Union, that united England and Scotland as the
Kingdom of Great Britain
Queen Anne ruled for 12 years from 1702 to 1714, and
her period of rule was very significant for the far-reaching changes
that occurred. The first such change was the signing of the Treaty of
Union that took effect on May 1, 1707, and the passing of two parliamentary acts in the English and
Scottish parliaments, known as the "Acts of Union," to put into effect
the terms of the treaty, under which England
and Scotland were to unite as a single sovereign state, known as the
Kingdom of Great Britain, ruled by a single monarch, and with a single
parliament, an idea that was first mooted by King James I & VI of
England, Ireland and Scotland, in 1606, but rejected by both
parliaments. Queen Anne earned the rare distinction of becoming the
first sovereign of the Kingdom of Great Britain, while holding the
separate crown of Queen of Ireland. The second far-reaching change that
occurred during the end of her rule was her own succession. Queen Anne
became the last of the monarchs of the House of Stuart, as she had no
surviving children, and her relatives if any being Roman Catholics were
excluded from power. Thus the death of Queen Anne in 1714, marked the
end of a dynasty, the House of Stuart and the beginning of a new ruling
dynasty the "House of Hanover," whose first king was King George I, who
still was a descendant of the Stuarts through King James I & VI.
Queen Anne of Great Britain
The Scottish Crown
Jewels are forgotten for over a century and rediscovered in 1818 by Sir
Walter Scott
The Crown Jewels
of Scotland are locked up in a chest at Edinburgh Castle in 1707
The signing of the "Treaty of Union" eliminated the
Kingdom of Scotland as well as its parliament, and therefore the Crown
Jewels of Scotland also known as the "Honors of Scotland" became
redundant with no apparent function in the foreseeable future. The Crown
Jewels were then wrapped up in linen cloth and locked away in a chest in
a little strong room at Edinburgh Castle known as the crown room, on May
1, 1707, and totally forgotten for the next 111 years.
The Crown Jewels
are rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott in Edinburgh Castle in 1818
Then in the year 1818, due to the effort of one
motivated individual, Sir Walter Scott, the prolific Scottish historical
novelist and poet, whose novels based on Scottish historical settings
projected Scottish history in a new romantic light, the Scottish Crown
Jewels were rediscovered, and put on display at the Edinburgh Castle. In
the year 1814, Sir Walter Scott published his first historical novel
"Waverley" a tale of the 1745 Jacobite uprising in the Kingdom of Great
Britain, with its English protagonist Edward Waverley, by his Tory
upbringing sympathetic to Jacobitism, becoming enmeshed in events, but
eventually choosing Hanoverian respectability. In "Waverly" the identity
of the author of the novel was withheld, and the novel achieved
considerable success. Then followed a succession of novels under the
pseudonym "Author of Waverly" each with a Scottish historical setting.
Eventually the mysterious best-selling author was given the nickname
"The Wizard of the North."
Sir Walter Scott
The anonymous author became so popular, that one of
his admirers was none other than the Prince Regent, George (later King
George IV), who was very anxious to meet the "Author of Waverly" and
thus Sir Walter Scott was given the honor of dining with the Prince
Regent. This gave him a rare opportunity to build up a close
relationship with the Prince Regent, which he subsequently used in
seeking permission from the Prince, to search the Edinburgh Castle
including the crown room for the Royal Scottish Regalia, which was
granted in 1818. Sir Walter Scott was present when the crown room was
opened, and the dust-covered oak chest was located in a corner of the
room. The searchers then opened the chest, and to the great relief and
joy of Sir Walter Scott, the regalia were discovered at the bottom of
the chest wrapped in linen cloth exactly as they had been left after the
union, 111 years ago. The news of the discovery was conveyed to the
Prince Regent, who too expressed his happiness over the discovery. The
regalia that consisted of the Scottish Crown, the Scepter and the Sword,
the oldest surviving crown jewels in the history of Great Britain, was
then cleaned, and put on display in the same crown room of Edinburgh
Castle, on February 4, 1818, where it had been on public display ever
since.
Edinburgh Castle
Photo above, Creative commons
The Crown of
Scotland again resumes its ceremonial role
In 1822 King George IV visited Scotland, the first by
a reigning British Monarch since 1651, and the Honors of Scotland were
presented to the king, at the Palace of Hollyroodhouse. Again on June
24, 1953, after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster
Abbey, the Honors of Scotland including the crown, was taken in
procession from the Palace of Hollyroodhouse, to the High Kirk of St.
Giles, Edinburgh, where they were presented to the Queen, during a
National Service of Thanksgiving. The Crown of Scotland has again
partially resumed its former ceremonial role, and was used in the
opening ceremonies of the new Scottish parliament sessions, including
the first meeting of the modern parliament in 1999, and as recently as
2004, at the official opening of the new Scottish Parliament Building.
You are welcome to discuss this post/related topics with Dr Shihaan and other experts from around the world in our FORUMS (forums.internetstones.com)
Related :-
1)
Abernathy Pearl
2)
Survival Pearl
3)
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References :-
1) Scottish National Heritage - Press Releases, Crime
Staff, Bailiffs, and SNH in fight against criminals. www.snh.org.uk
2) Uncertain Future for Scotlands River Gem - SNH
Magazine, 2008
3) The Earl of Kelly - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
4) Clan Kelly - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
5) Mary I of Scotland - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
6) James I of England - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
7) List of Provosts and Lord Provosts of Aberdeen - From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
8) The Treaty of Union - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
9) Acts of Union 1707 - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
10) Charles I of England - From Wikipeia, the free
encyclopedia
11) Charles II of England - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
12) English Restoration - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
13) Oliver Cromwell - From Wikipedia, the free
encylopedia
14) Sir Walter Scott - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.
15) Honors of Scotland - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
16) Crown of Scotland - From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
