Made in Paris, probably between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a superb example of early French silver, very little of which survives today.
An infamous casket
It's believed this is the infamous casket produced at a 1568 hearing ordered by Elizabeth I against Mary at Westminster. It contained the ‘casket letters’ – a set of love poems and letters, allegedly from Mary to her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, which implicated them both in a conspiracy to murder her second husband, Lord Darnley. For centuries it's been valued as both a remarkable work of craftsmanship and an object closely connected to a pivotal moment in Scottish history.
At risk of loss
The casket had been owned by Lennoxlove House Ltd since the middle of the 20th century and was being sold to help support the long-term maintenance of the house and its contents. National Museums Scotland was given the first change to buy it, preventing the risk of it being sold overseas.
On permanent display in Scotland
In 2022 we awarded £810,000 towards the £1.8million sale price. Other supporters included Art Fund, National Museums Scotland's Acquisitions Fund and Charitable Trust, plus other trusts, foundations and individual donors.
The casket is now on permanent display in the Mary Queen of Scots section of the museum’s Scotland galleries and viewed by millions of visitors each year, including through National Museums Scotland’s school programmes and community events. It has also toured other venues in Scotland, helping more people across the UK connect with this important heritage.