| Crown of Scotland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Heraldic depictions | |
.svg) | |
| Details | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Made | 1540 (remade from previous version) |
| Owner | Charles III in right of the Crown |
| Weight | 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) |
| Arches | 4 |
| Material | Scottish gold and silver[1] |
The Crown of Scotland (Scots: Croun o Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Crùn na h-Alba) 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.
A crown must have been made during the reign of Robert the Bruce or his son, David II, as David was anointed and crowned, as were all the subsequent Stewart kings. It was probably this new crown that was remodelled into the current crown. Remade in its current form for James V in 1540, the crown was last used in a coronation to crown Charles II in 1651. Until 1707 the crown was present at the opening of each term of the Parliament of Scotland as a symbol of royal authority. The crown has been present at each Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament since 1999.
Made of solid gold and silver, the crown weighs 1.6 kilograms (3.5 lb) and is decorated with 69 Scottish freshwater pearls and 43 gemstones.[2] Stylised versions of the crown appear upon the version of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom used in Scotland and the Scottish Royal Cypher of Charles III.
The Crown of Scotland is kept on public display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.
- ^ The Honours of Scotland, Official website of the British Royal Family.
- ^ Chris Tabraham, The Honours of Scotland: The Story of the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (Edinburgh: Historic Environment Scotland, 2019), pp. 50-54.