Why the Honours of Scotland were kept in a locked room for over a century

They are the oldest Coronation regalia in any part of the United Kingdom and as the reign of King Charles III begins, they will be presented to His Majesty in an historic ceremony.

The Honours of Scotland will be ceremonially handed to The King in a service at St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh on July 5th 2023. Before that, the regalia will be carried in procession from its usual home at Edinburgh Castle. There, the gems are usually on display. But for decades, these historic pieces were kept in a sealed room for fear they would be destroyed.

The Crown Room is a part of the Royal Palace, and this is where the Honours of Scotland are kept now. This room in particular has quite an interesting history.

With the Act of Union in 1707, there was no longer a separate Scottish throne. This meant that there was no use for the Honours of Scotland, as the existing British Crown Jewels were used instead. 

Fears that the gems might be broken down, melted or sold were rife until an Act of Parliament gave them full protection. This Act, from 1707, states that “… the crown, scepter and sword of state… continue to be keeped as they are in that part of the united kingdome now called Scotland, and that they shall so remain in all tyme coming, notwithstanding of the union.”

However, fears for their future continued. After the Act of Union was signed, the Scottish Crown Jewels were locked in an oak chest and the doorway into the Crown Room was bricked over. It sat undisturbed for nearly a century until the room was opened briefly in 1794 during a search for papers; the chest was assumed to be empty and was left, and the room was sealed up again. 

In the early nineteenth century, Scottish separatists were pushing to find the Honours, and the Prince Regent granted author Sir Walter Scott the authority to conduct a search. Scott located the room and the jewels inside.

Scott asked that the jewels be available for the public to see, and they were put on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.

Now, a new chapter of their history begins as they are presented to King Charles III.