A letter celebrating William Wallace from the King of France more than 700 years ago is to go on public display in a National Records of Scotland building in Edinburgh on St Andrew’s Day.
The brief letter was sent to the King’s agents in the court of Pope Boniface VIII in the year 1300 and was written in a form of Latin shorthand.
Wallace, who is most famous for leading an army of Scots in the defeat of the English forces at the battle of Stirling Bridge, is known to have travelled to France in 1300.
It remains unknown why he was there and he was back in Scotland when he was captured and then hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason by King Edward of England in 1305.
Wallace’s mission in Europe remains a mystery but in the letter, King Phillipe IV asked the Pope to support the Scottish knight in “those things which he has to transact”.
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Historians discovered the letter in the Tower of London in the 1830s, and while no one knows exactly how it got there, it’s believed by experts that Wallace carried it with him when he was taken there after being captured in Scotland and turned over to England.
The fragile fragment is now on loan to National Records of Scotland from the National Archive at Kew.
The Wallace Letter will go on display at General Register House at Princes Street in Edinburgh from 10am until 3pm on St Andrew’s Day this year.
Two tapestries inspired by the only two surviving original letters known to mention Wallace will also be on display. Skilled weavers from the Dovecot Studios created the tapestries, with the design of them taking inspiration from the intricate lettering and historic parchment of the documents.
Head of medieval and early modern records at NRS, Alan Borthwick, said: “While Wallace is known to have been in France in 1300 it is not known why. Some have suggested he may have been seeking support to have the deposed Scottish king, John Balliol, restored to the throne.
“What is certain is that this is a rare document and a wonderful opportunity for the public to see it in person. It is the first time it has been on display since 2018 and it is free of charge to visit.”
Wallace is believed to have been born in 1270 and died at the age of 35 following a lifetime of fighting in Scotland. He was a leader of the First War of Scottish Independence and was named as the Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland in 1297 until 1298 when he was replaced by Robert the Bruce.
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