William Betoun facts for kids
William Betoun (also spelled Beaton) was a very talented Scottish embroiderer who worked for James VI of Scotland and his wife, Anne of Denmark. He created beautiful textiles and decorations for the royal court during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
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William Betoun's Royal Role
On July 25, 1573, a powerful leader named Regent Morton gave William Betoun an important job. He was appointed as the king's "browdinstar," which means royal embroiderer. He also became the keeper of the king's wardrobe. At this time, King James VI was still young and lived at Stirling Castle. Betoun even bought a house in Stirling to be close to his royal duties.
Working with George Strathauchin
In 1575, Betoun had an assistant named George Strathauchin. Strathauchin also helped with embroidery and was given clothes by the royal treasurer. Later, Strathauchin became a "tapissier." This meant he was in charge of taking care of and fixing the royal hangings and tapestries, which were large, decorated cloths used to cover walls.
Creating for Important Events
William Betoun didn't just work for the king and queen. He also made special items for other important people, like Lady Ogilvy. For her son's wedding, he crafted a fancy hat string that cost a lot of money at the time.
Betoun's skills were very important for royal events. For example, King James VI owned three green velvet hangings. These were embroidered with gold holly leaves and the symbols of the Longueville family, as they had belonged to his grandmother, Mary of Guise. In 1594, these hangings were given to George Strathauchin to be repaired for a special event: the baptism of Prince Henry, the king's son.
Betoun also made other beautiful items for this baptism. He created colorful velvet cloths to decorate the Chapel Royal and show where important ambassadors should sit. He even made special bonnets (hats) for the young Prince Henry out of fancy gold and silver cloth.
Betoun's Later Life
William Betoun married Marion Foulis in August 1597. He continued his important work for the royal family and other clients until his death in July 1620.
