Historic Diamonds / Royal Stories
The Dramatic 500-Year History of the Scottish Crown Jewels
By Josie Goodbody, Updated September 29, 2025
A turbulent tale of one of the oldest crowns in the United Kingdom.
King Charles being presented with the Scottish Crown (Getty Images)
On May 6th, 2023, a global audience of 400 million watched King Charles and Queen Camilla being crowned, with the glorious St. Edward’s Crown, Imperial State Crown and Queen Mary’s Crown set with priceless and historic natural diamonds and gemstones. However, eight weeks after this regal ceremony—the first in seventy years—another historic occasion took place on July 5th, 2023, at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh: the presentation to their Majesties of the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are officially known as the Honours of Scotland.
This occasion had none of the pomp and circumstance of Westminster Abbey. Instead of a climactic crowning accompanied by the heart-stirring sounds of Handel’s Zadok the Priest, the king was presented with the Scottish crown, which remained sitting on its plush red velvet cushion, as well as other regalia, including the Sceptre and the Sword of State. And rather than a whole host of members of the British Royal Family, foreign royals and dignitaries, the formality was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the king’s sister, The Princess Royal, along with members of the Scottish parliament.
Meet the Expert
- Josie Goodbody is a jewelry historian, novelist, and communications specialist with a passion for storytelling and the world of high jewelry.
- She is also a recognized royal jewelry expert, having written extensively on historic regalia from Queen Elizabeth II’s diamonds to the Scottish Crown Jewels.
- Goodbody is the author of the Jemima Fox mystery series, blending intrigue with dazzling jewels, and her work has appeared in the Daily Mail and Rapaport.
Ahead, discover the dramatic history of the Scottish Crown Jewels—from secret hideaways to royal rediscoveries.
The Scottish Crown Jewels: The Oldest Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom
In giving the Scottish Crown Jewels their due, it’s important to note that they are the oldest remaining crown jewels in the United Kingdom—and some of the oldest in the world. These pieces were created over five hundred years ago, long before Scotland joined England and Wales to form Great Britain. Like the British Crown Jewels, these were modeled on previous regalia.
The Turbulent History of the Scottish Crown Jewels
Nevertheless, the Scottish Crown Jewels endured an even more turbulent history than their British ‘cousins.’ Following the execution of Charles I in 1649 and Oliver Cromwell’s subsequent destruction of the English regalia, the Scots were appalled and declared the late king’s son as their sovereign. To protect the Honours of Scotland, they were removed from Edinburgh Castle and taken to Dunnottar Castle—the remote northern stronghold of the hereditary keeper of the regalia—perched dramatically on a rocky headland above the sea.
Charles II and the Last Coronation in Scotland
In late 1650, the jewels were taken to Scone Palace in Perthshire, the ancient crowning place of the Kings of Scots where, on 1st January 1651, almost two years after his father’s beheading, Charles II was crowned with the Crown of Scotland. Whilst wearing the crown and holding the scepter and sword of state, he was pronounced King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland. It would be the last time that the Crown was ever worn, and Charles was the last king to be crowned in Scotland.
Hiding the Scottish Crown Jewels from Cromwell
Cromwell was enraged that this coronation had taken place; he wanted to punish the Scottish and began his pursuit of the Scottish Crown Jewels, which he now knew were at Dunnottar. By Autumn 1651, word got out that the castle was about to be under siege, so it was decided that the jewels needed to be hidden somewhere that no one would ever discover them. The wife of the officer in command at Dunnottar Castle devised a plan with a woman called Mrs. Grainger, whose husband, James, was the minister of a small church (a kirk) six miles south in Kinneff, a tiny hamlet on the coast.
One night, Mrs. Grainger and her maid—disguised as a fishwife—made their way to the castle. Waiting at the base of the cliffs, the maid received a huge basket lowered down from above, its contents carefully concealing the regalia. She carried it to a waiting cart, which whisked her and the jewels to the church an hour away.
Once the Scottish Crown Jewels were safely in Reverend Grainger’s hands, he acted under cover of darkness. Lifting a heavy flagstone from the floor before the church’s pulpit, he dug a hole and buried the crown and scepter beneath it before carefully relaying the stone. The sword he concealed separately, in the earth between two statues of saints on the opposite side of the church. To ensure their secret would not be lost, the reverend wrote a letter describing the hiding places to the Countess of Marischal, wife of Scotland’s Treasurer.
Rediscovery of the Honours of Scotland
In 1660, with the Restoration of the Monarchy in England, the regalia were finally retrieved and returned to Edinburgh Castle. However, the tale does not end there. In 1707, when the Kingdom of England was united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Scottish Honours were put in a chest and locked away in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle. And completely forgotten about.
After years of research and persistent queries by the poet Sir Walter Scott, it was finally confirmed that the regalia lay hidden in the sealed Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle. In 1818—111 years after they had been locked away—the Scottish Crown Jewels were rediscovered. Just four years later, in 1822, they were formally presented to George IV, the first monarch to receive them in such a ceremony, much like the presentation to his great-grandson in 2023.
The Scottish Crown Jewels: The Crown of Scotland
The centerpiece of the regalia is, of course, the Crown of Scotland. In 1540, James V had it made by a French goldsmith using gold from the older Scottish crown of Robert the Bruce, circa 1306, which had become damaged and augmented with 41 ounces of gold mined in Scotland. The crown is set with 94 pearls and 43 gemstones, including diamonds, garnets, and amethysts.
James V wore the crown not for his own coronation, but for that of his wife, Mary of Guise. Their daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, became the first monarch of Scotland to be crowned with it just three years later, when she was only nine months old. As the crown was far too large for the infant queen, Cardinal David Beaton held it above her head while anointing her with holy oil.
The Scottish Crown Jewels: The Sceptre
The Sceptre is thought to have been a gift to James IV from Pope Alexander VI in 1494 and is a perfect example of high Renaissance Italian craftsmanship. Extended in 1536, the sceptre features at its top a large globe of polished rock crystal, crowned with a solid gold orb and a single pearl at its peak. Beneath the crystal sit three gold figurines: St. Andrew, St. James the Great, and the Virgin Mary. The lower section is richly adorned with oak leaves, urns, thistles (Scotland’s national flower), and fleurs-de-lis.
The Scottish Crown Jewels: The Sword of State
The Sword of State was presented to James IV in 1507 by Pope Julius II—one of the most powerful Renaissance popes, famed for commissioning Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s works in the Papal Palace. Crafted in steel by the Italian metalsmith Domenico da Sutri, the sword is richly decorated with the papal arms of Julius, while oak trees and acorns symbolize Christ’s resurrection and dolphins represent the Church. Each side of the blade’s base is engraved with figures of Saints Peter and Paul. Its wooden scabbard, covered in red velvet and silver-gilt metalwork, is further embellished with oak leaves, acorns, and dolphins.
Future Plans for the Scottish Crown Jewels
In 2025, Historic Environment Scotland announced that the Honours of Scotland would receive a newly designed display case, ensuring the regalia is preserved and presented with the care it deserves. Looking ahead, the jewels will be temporarily removed from public view in early 2026 as the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle undergoes refurbishment and a new exhibition space is created.
The Scottish Crown Jewels might no longer bask in the same regal limelight as their British counterparts, but they have undeniably earned their place in the history books—however legendary their journey may be.
