Jewellery fit for a queen
Mary, Queen of Scots not only delighted in having jewellery but
in giving it away. Here are two fine examples in the National
Museum of Scotland.
The Sheriff of Nottingham connection
This necklace came into the possession of the Sheriff of
Nottingham in the year of the Queen's execution. Mary, Queen of
Scots was tried and found guilty of treason and was executed on 7
February 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire.
It is not clear if Mary gave this locket to the Sheriff of
Nottingham, but she was generous to her friends and people
around her and delighted in giving jewellery and other gifts
to them.
Mary's silver crucifix
This silver crucifix, decorated with niello and mounted on
a plain ebony cross, was found in a bedroom at Craigmillar Castle
which Mary was known to have visited.