Tea at Trianon: Silver Casket of Mary Queen of Scots

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Silver Casket of Mary Queen of Scots

From BBC:

The casket was acquired by National Museums Scotland from Lennoxlove House Ltd, its owner since the middle of the 20th Century. The £1.8m cost was met with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, the Scottish government and several trusts, foundations and individual donors. The sale was managed by Sotheby's.
Dr Chris Breward, director of National Museums Scotland said: "This extraordinary casket is truly one of Scotland's national treasures.
"Venerated as a relic of Mary for centuries, it is believed to represent a momentous and disastrous moment in her turbulent life.
"Beyond this, the magnificence of the piece speaks to a queen at the height of her powers, wealth and position.
"I am delighted that this beautiful object has been acquired for the nation."
It is thought that the casket was given to Mary by her first husband, François II of France, and came to Scotland with her in 1561 after his death in 1560. Her inventories from this time listed multiple examples of precious jewellery and other such valuable objects. A casket first appeared in records following Mary's arrest in 1567 by the rebellious Confederate Lords, when it was discovered in the hands of Lord Bothwell's servant. It was brought before the Scottish Privy Council where its lock was struck off to reveal its contents. What these were at the time is unknown. However, a year later, when the Earl of Moray produced the same casket at Westminster, it now contained the damning Casket Letters.
The authorship of the letters remains a subject of debate, but it is widely thought that they were doctored. Following the hearing at Westminster, Mary remained in English captivity for 19 years, until she was executed in 1587 for her involvement in the Babington Plot to assassinate Elizabeth I, and place Mary on the English throne. The National Heritage Memorial Fund contributed £810,000 towards the acquisition.
A spokesman said: "Not only will memorial funding bring an object of great national importance into public ownership, it will bring to life the story and secrets of the casket and of Mary Queen of Scots to a whole new generation of visitors at the National Museums of Scotland ."
Culture Minister Neil Gray said: "I'm delighted that the Scottish government's contribution of £200,000 to the National Museums Scotland Acquisitions Fund has helped to secure this exquisite casket for the nation.
"Quite apart from the colourful history associated with the item, given the belief that it belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, the silver casket is a stunning work of art in its own right."
Lennoxlove House said the casket's sale would enable the long-term maintenance of the house and its contents. (Read more.)