On 19 August 1561, the 18-year-old

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

returned to Scotland from France. On 2 September the town of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

organised a celebration of royal entry for her. Edinburgh Cowgate lodging of Cardinal Beaton

Events

Tailors and "boys" made black mourning "dule" riding cloaks and skirts for Mary, Queen of Scots, and her 15 ladies. Mary wore black Florence serge, the other costumes were made from 50 ells of cheaper black stemming. On the day, Mary rode from

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinbu ...

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

where she had dinner. After the meal, she went to the Castlehill on the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

and joined an escort of 50 young men from Edinburgh who were dressed as "Moors", a disguise representing imagined African people, with rings in their mouths and gilded chains about their necks and arms. The costumes of some of this "Convoy of Moors" were made of white taffeta. A 16th-century chronicle called the ''Diurnal of Occurents'' describes their costume,

black face Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people, Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of ...

, and chains in

Scots language Scots ( endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language variety in the West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots). Most commonly ...

thair bodeis and theis highscoverit with yeallow taffiteis, thair armis and leggs from the knee doun bare, cullorit with blak, in maner of Moris, upon thair heidds blak hattis, and on thair faces blak visouris, in thair mowthis rings, garnessit with intellable et with innumerableprecious staneis, about thair nekkis leggs and armes infynit of chenis of gold.

Mary made her progress under a "paill" or canopy of purple velvet with gold fringes held up by twelve townsmen dressed in black velvet. At the Butter Tron (where dairy products were weighed for sale) at the head of the West Bow there was a pageant stage. A boy dressed as an angel emerged from a globe and gave her the keys to the town, a bible, and a psalter. At the

Tolbooth A tolbooth or town house was the main municipal building of a Scottish burgh, from medieval times until the 19th century. The tolbooth usually provided a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail. The tolbooth was one of three essen ...

, on a double stage, four damsels (male actors) represented Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, and Prudence. At the Cross, wine poured from a fountain, and four maidens performed an allegory. At another stop at the Salt Tron a pageant representing the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...

was abandoned in favour of the destruction of

Korah Korah ( he, ''Qōraḥ''; ar, قارون ''Qārūn''), son of Izhar, is an individual who appears in the Book of Numbers of the Hebrew Bible and four different verses in the Quran, known for leading a rebellion against Moses. Some older Englis ...

Dathan Dathan ( he, דָּתָן ''Dāṯān'') was an Israelite mentioned in the Old Testament as a participant of the Exodus. He was a son of Eliab, the son of Pallu, the son of Reuben. Together with his brother Abiram, the Levite Korah and others, ...

, and

Abiram Abiram, also spelled Abiron ( he, אֲבִירָם "my father is exalted"), is the name of two people in the Old Testament. One was a member of the Tribe of Reuben, the son of Eliab, who, along with his brother Dathan, joined Korah in the conspir ...

. At the Netherbow, the boundary between Edinburgh and the

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...

, the queen was addressed by a dragon which was then burnt. At Holyrood Palace, a cartload of school children spoke in favour of the Reformation and sang a psalm. A cupboard of gilt plate, bought by the town council from the

Earl of Morton The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton. ...

and

Richard Maitland Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington and Thirlstane (1496 – 1 August 1586) was a Senator of the College of Justice, an Ordinary Lord of Session from 1561 until 1584, and notable Scottish poet. He was served heir to his father, Sir William Maitl ...

Lethington Lennoxlove House is a historic house set in woodlands half a mile south of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. The house comprises a 15th-century tower, originally known as Lethington Castle, and has been extended several times, principally i ...

, was presented to the queen in her outer chamber in Holyrood Palace, by the "honest men" who had carried and walked beside the canopy. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph mentioned the substitution and negotiation of content alluding directly to the

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

wrote that Mary seemed dismissive when she was presented with the Bible in vernacular, and this is repeated in a chronicle attributed to the Catholic Lord Herries. It is thought that the presentation of the triumph of the Reformation during the Entry was displeasing to the Catholic queen. A month later, after burgh council elections, she required the dismissal of the Provost and four bailies of the town council. The new Provost,

Thomas McCalzean Thomas McCalzean, Lord Cliftonhall (pronounced and sometimes spelled McCalyeane, Macalzean or Macallyean) (c. 1520 – 1581) was a 16th-century Scottish judge, rising to be a Senator of the College of Justice and a local politician who was brie ...

, proved to be a supporter of the queen. This Entry included features differing from other Edinburgh Entries, with no mention of a ceremony at the West Port, an actual entry to the town, and the presentation of the gilt plate within the royal palace. These differences may suggest interventions in the theatrical programme and conflict between civic and royal authority.

Burgh records

The town council had met on 26 August and resolved to hold a banquet for the queen and her cousins, and a "triumph" of "her grace's entry within this town". The

Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...

Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie Sir Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie (c. 1475 – bef. 1536), also known as ''Greysteil'', was a Scottish nobleman and courtier, who served as Treasurer of Scotland, and was three times Provost of Edinburgh. Life Rise Kilspindie was the four ...

, discussed methods of funding the event, countering objections raised by the goldsmith

Thomas Ewyn Thomas Ewyn (died 1569) was a Scottish goldsmith working in Edinburgh. His brother may have been the chaplain and scribe, Robert Ewyn. Thomas Ewyn was Deacon of the Goldsmiths. Ewyn was involved in planning the civic celebrations in Edinburgh fo ...

who spoke on behalf of the town's craftsmen. The treasurer, Luke Wilson, was appointed to organise the banquet and the "triumph". Wilson also supplied the costumes for the men bearing the canopy and town's sergeants. A carpenter Patrick Schang made the stages for the "triumphs and farces" at the Over or Butter Tron, Tolbooth, Cross, Salt Tron, and Netherbow. The stages were painted by

Walter Binning Walter Binning, or Bynning was a painter in 16th-century Edinburgh. There were several painters and glaziers called "Binning" working in Edinburgh and for the royal court in 16th-century Scotland. It has been speculatively suggested that there was ...

. The young men (playing the "Moors") were expected to devise their own costumes to wear while they made "convoy before the cart triumphant". The banquet was held in Cardinal Beaton's house in the Cowgate.

Verses

The verses spoken when the boy appeared out of a globe to give gifts of books to the queen survive. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph sent a copy to William Cecil. According to John Knox, Mary smiled at verses in her praise but passed the Bible to her attendant

Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange (died 1571) was a Scottish courtier. He was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Margaret Campbell. He became an equerry or master of the stable to Mary, Queen of Scots. John Knox noted that he accompanied her ...

. :Welcome our Souveraine Welcome our natyve quene :Welcome to us your subjects greate and smalle :Welcome I saye even from the verie spleene :to Edinburghe youre cyttie principall :dothe heere offer to your excellence :two proper volumes in memoriall :as gyftes most gainand for a godlie prince :Wherein your grace may read and understand :the perfyct waye unto the heavens hie :and how to rewle your subjects and your land :and how your kingdom established salbe :Judgement and wysedome herein shall you see :here shall you find that God hes done command :and who the contrarie does wilfullie :how them he thretines with his scurge and wand :Ane gyfte more precious could we none present :nor yet more nedefull for your excellence :quhilk (which) is Gods law his word his testament :trewlie translated with faithful diligence :quhilk to accept with humble reverence :the Provost present moste hartelie yow exhorts :with the (w)hole subjects due obedience :together with the keyse of their ports :In sign that they and all that they possess :bodie and goods shall ever reddie be :to serve you as thair souveraigne hie misteris :both daye and ever after their bound deutie :beseching your grace in this necessetie :their shorte tyme & gudwill consither :accept their hearts & take it patiently :that may done seeing all is yours together.

Civic and court drama in Scotland

The events staged at the Edinburgh Entry were closely paralleled in other festivals, including: * The 1503 Entry of

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Marg ...

. * The 1579

Entry of James VI into Edinburgh The Entry of James VI into Edinburgh was a ceremony marking the coming of age of James VI of Scotland as an adult ruler on Friday 19 October 1579. James VI had spent his childhood at Stirling Castle. Now he came to Edinburgh to begin his adult ru ...

* The 1590

Entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark On 17 May 1590, Anne of Denmark was crowned Queen of Scotland. There was also a ceremony of joyous entry into Edinburgh on 19 May, an opportunity for spectacle and theatre and allegorical tableaux promoting civic and national identities, similar ...

. Further detail from this event is available for the performance of the "Convoy of the Moors".Clare McManus, ''Women on the Renaissance Stage'' (Manchester, 2002), pp. 76–78. Royal baptisms also included elements of masque, drama, and formal processions: * The 1566

Baptism of James VI The Baptism of James VI was celebrated at Stirling Castle in December 1566 with a masque, fireworks, and a staged assault on a mock fortress. Prince James James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. He was born on 19 ...

* The 1594

Masque at the baptism of Prince Henry The Masque at the baptism of Prince Henry, (30 August 1594) was a celebration at the christening of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle, written by the Scottish poet William Fowler and Patrick Leslie, 1st Lord Lindores. Prince Henry, born 19 Febr ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Entry of Mary, Queen of Scots into Edinburgh 1561 in Scotland Renaissance in Scotland Court of Mary, Queen of Scots European court festivities Royal entries in Britain History of Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh Scottish plays Drama at the Scottish royal court