Scottish Sword of State

Last updated

The Sword of State, also referred to as the Papal Sword, is a ceremonial sword that serves as part of the Honours of Scotland but ceased being formally used in 2022. It was presented to the King of Scotland by Pope Julius II in 1507 and continued to be used as the sword of state for Scotland until 2022 when it was deemed to fragile to continue to be used and was replaced by the Elizabeth Sword.

Contents

History

The Sword of State was gifted to King James IV of Scotland in 1507 by Pope Julius II alongside a consecrated cap as part of the blessed sword and hat traditionally given to Roman Catholic monarchs. [1] [2] James IV adopted the sword to be used as the sword for Scottish coronations and kept them in Edinburgh. [3] He was formally invested with the sword on Easter Sunday 1507 in the Abbey of Holyrood. [4] It subsequently gained the nickname of the "Papal Sword". [5] In August 1536, James V ordered the goldsmith Adam Leys to repair the sword, using silver from melted-down English groats. [6]

During the Anglo-Scottish Civil War in 1650, the Honours were removed from Edinburgh owing to Oliver Cromwell's English forces laying siege to Edinburgh Castle. [7] The sword was removed to Dunottar Castle though this was also besieged. Christian Fletcher then smuggled the Honours out in linen baskets though the sword was broken in two to make it easier to hide. [8] They were then buried in Kinneff before the coronation of Charles II in 1660 allowed for the sword to be returned to Edinburgh where Fletcher was awarded 2000 merks for their return. [7] [8] Following the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland, the sword along with the rest of the Honours were locked away until 1818 when they was rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott. [7]

In 2007, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the sword being gifted, the First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond held a reception at Edinburgh Castle and stated "Scotland should never hide its treasures again". [2] In 2022, it was deemed that the sword was too fragile to continue to be used in official ceremonies so the Scottish Government commissioned the Elizabeth Sword to replace it. [9] The Scottish Sword of State remained on display at Edinburgh Castle. [7]

Design

The sword is made of steel and was designed by the Italian goldsmith Domenico da Sutri. [10] It contains Christian imagery. The handle was made of oak and based on Julius' Papal coat of arms with oak trees and acorns inlaid to symbolise the resurrection of Jesus and the church. The blade contains representations of Saint Peter and Saint Paul with the Latin text: "JULIUS II PONT MAX" (Julius II Supreme Pontiff) inlaid in gold upon it. The scabbard was covered in red velvet and silver-gilt mounts of acorns, oaks, dolphins and the Papal arms. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone of Scone</span> Ancient Scottish coronation artefact

The Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, is an oblong block of red sandstone that was used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs until the 13th century. The Stone measures 26 by 16.7 by 10.5 inches and weighs approximately 335 lb (152 kg). A cross is roughly incised on one surface, and an iron ring at each end aids with transport. Monarchs sat on the Stone of Scone itself until a wooden platform was added to the Coronation Chair in the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown jewels</span> Objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy

Crown jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portraits, as they symbolize the power and continuity of the monarchy. Additions to them may be made, but since medieval times the existing items are typically passed down unchanged as they symbolize the continuity of the monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom</span> British royal regalia

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, originally the Crown Jewels of England, are a collection of royal ceremonial objects kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, which include the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honours of Scotland</span> Regalia worn by Scottish monarchs

The Honours of Scotland, informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from the 15th and 16th centuries, and are the oldest surviving set of crown jewels in the British Isles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunnottar Castle</span> Ruined castle in Scotland

Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation Chair</span> Wooden chair used in British coronations

The Coronation Chair, also known as St Edward's Chair or King Edward's Chair, is an ancient wooden chair on which British monarchs sit when they are invested with regalia and crowned at their coronations. It was commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I to contain the Stone of Scone, which he had captured from the Scots. The chair was named after Edward the Confessor and for centuries it was kept in his shrine at Westminster Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regalia of Norway</span> Items symbolising Norwegian monarchs power and majesty

The regalia of Norway are items that symbolise the Norwegian monarch's power and majesty. Little is known of the old Norwegian regalia which have since been lost. The majority of the modern regalia date from 1818 and were made for the coronation of Jean Bernadotte as King Carl III Johan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Forman</span> Scottish diplomat

Andrew Forman was a Scottish diplomat and prelate who became Bishop of Moray in 1501, Archbishop of Bourges in France, in 1513, Archbishop of St Andrews in 1514 as well as being Commendator of several monasteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown of Scotland</span> Crown that was used for coronation of monarchs of Scotland

The Crown of Scotland is the centrepiece of the Honours of Scotland. It is the crown that was used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, and it is the oldest surviving crown in the British Isles and among the oldest in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alastair Bruce of Crionaich</span> Journalist, senior British Army officer, and Governor of Edinburgh Castle

Major-General Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce is a journalist and television correspondent, and a senior British Army reservist and officer of arms in the Royal Household. He commanded the TA Media Operations Group before being appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holyrood Palace</span> Residence of the British monarch in Scotland

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.

John Damian de Falcuis was an Italian at the court of James IV of Scotland. His attempts at medicine, alchemy, flying, and his advancement by the king encouraged a satirical attack by the poet William Dunbar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark</span> Scottish ceremony in 1590

On 17 May 1590, Anne of Denmark was crowned Queen of Scotland. There was also a ceremony of joyous entry into Edinburgh on 19 May, an opportunity for spectacle and theatre and allegorical tableaux promoting civic and national identities, similar in many respects to those performed in many other European towns. Celebrations for the arrival of Anne of Denmark in Scotland had been planned and prepared for September 1589, when it was expected she would sail from Denmark with the admirals Peder Munk and Henrik Gyldenstierne. She was delayed by accidents and poor weather and James VI of Scotland joined her in Norway in November. They returned to Scotland in May 1590.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mosman (goldsmith)</span> Scottish goldsmith

John Mosman or Mossman was a Scottish goldsmith based in Edinburgh who served the royal court and was involved in gold mining.

Jerome, Hieronimo, or Girolamo Frescobaldi was an Italian financier and textile merchant based in Bruges. He supplied luxury goods to the Scottish court and was described as a "very good friend to the King of Scots". The Frescobaldi family and company, based in Florence, were involved in artistic commissions in England and Scotland. Jerome Frescobaldi was involved in the wool trade with Tommaso Portinari and his sons, and marketed spices obtained by Portuguese traders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation of James VI</span>

James Stewart (1566–1625), son of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) and Lord Darnley (1546–1567), was crowned King of Scotland by Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, in the Holy Rude Kirk at Stirling on 29 July 1567.

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), the daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise, was crowned as Queen of Scotland in the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle on 9 September 1543.

The Elizabeth Sword is a ceremonial state sword kept in Edinburgh Castle. It is used at ceremonial occasions in place of the Sword of State, which is part of the Honours of Scotland, which Scottish monarchs used at their coronation. The Elizabeth Sword, along with the Crown of Scotland and the Sceptre, were presented to King Charles III in 2023. The sword, named after Queen Elizabeth II, was commissioned in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presentation of the Honours of Scotland to Charles III</span> 2023 Scottish royal ceremony

On 5 July 2023, the Honours of Scotland were presented to King Charles III in a ceremony held in St Giles' Cathedral. The ceremony was formally described as a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Leys</span>

Adam Leys or Leis was a Scottish goldsmith based in Edinburgh. He worked for James V of Scotland and, in the 1530s, repaired and refashioned the Scottish crown jewels known as the Honours of Scotland.

References

  1. Charles Burns, 'Papal Gifts to Scottish Monarchs: The Golden Rose and the Blessed Sword', Innes Review, 20:2 (Autumn 1969), pp. 150–194. doi : 10.3366/inr.1969.20.2.150
  2. 1 2 "500th anniversary of Scotland's Sword of State". Scottish Government. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2023 via Wayback Machine.
  3. Goodare, Julian (2008). Sixteenth-Century Scotland: Essays in Honour of Michael Lynch. BRILL. p. 57. ISBN   9789047433736.
  4. Buchanan, Kate (2016). Medieval and Early Modern Representations of Authority in Scotland and the British Isles. Routledge. ISBN   9781317098133.
  5. "King to receive new sword named after late Queen during Scotland visit". The Independent. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  6. Andrea Thomas, 'Coronation Ritual and Regalia', Julian Goodare & Alasdair A. MacDonald, Sixteenth-Century Scotland (Brill, 2008), p. 57: James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), pp. 285–286.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Sword of State; Domenico da Sutri; Pre 1507; 16th century; Edinburgh Castle". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 "The story of the Honours of Scotland - our Crown Jewels". The National. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  9. "Honours of Scotland: King Charles to be presented with new sword". BBC Newsround. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. Campbell, Gordon (2009). The Grove Encyclopedia of Northern Renaissance Art. OUP USA. p. 79. ISBN   9780195334661.