Image: Rediscovering the lost 'Honours of Scotland'

Description: Sir Walter Scott and the Governor of Edinburgh Castle rediscover Scotland's 'lost' Crown, Sceptre and Sword of State in 1818. A tableau in the Castle. "The extreme solemnity of opening sealed doors of oak and iron, and finally breaking open a chest which had been shut since 7th March 1707, about a hundred and eleven years, gave a sort of interest to our researches, which I can hardly express to you, and it would be very difficult to describe the intense eagerness with which we watched the rising of the lid of the chest, and the progress of the workmen in breaking it open, which was neither an easy nor a speedy task. (...) The discovery of the Regalia has interested people's minds much more strongly than I expected, and is certainly calculated to make a pleasant and favourable impression upon them in respect to the kingly part of the constitution. It would be of the utmost consequence that they should be occasionally shown to them, under proper regulations, and for a small fee." -- Sir Walter Scott, letter to J. W. Croker M.P., 5th February, 1818
Title: Rediscovering the lost 'Honours of Scotland'
Credit: Own work
Author: Kim Traynor
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
Attribution Required?: Yes