This object is one of the earliest surviving pieces of Scottish-made gold. It was used at the Scottish coronation of Charles I, which was held in Edinburgh eight years after his coronation in London. 

Who was Charles I?

Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was the son of James VI of Scotland and I of England. He was famously tried and executed on Tuesday, 30 January 1649 in London after years of conflict over the King’s religious interventions and powers of Parliament. In 1660, Charles I’s son Charles II was restored to the throne. He was succeeded by his brother, James VII of Scotland, II of England.

What is the significance of Charles I’s Scottish coronation?

When Charles I ascended to the throne, the Scots insisted that he should also be crowned in his northern kingdom. The ceremony took place in Edinburgh at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 18 June 1633, amid an elaborate and extravagant royal tour. 

Charles I was determined to bring the Scottish church under the rule of bishops appointed by the crown, as in England. This move – to Episcopalian system – was contrary to the system established within the Scottish Presbyterian church. 

Charles angered many of his Presbyterian subjects by conducting an Anglican coronation ceremony. Charles believed that the king had a divine right to rule, and that, as king, he was the spiritual Head of the Church. The Presbyterians, however, could not accept this: for them, Jesus Christ was the Head of the Church. 

Charles’s belief in the divine right of kings would cost him dear. In 1638, five years after his coronation, Scots across the country banded together in opposition to Charles I’s religious and political policies. They wrote and signed the National Covenant, a pledge between the Scottish people and God to uphold Presbyterian values. Those who supported the National Covenant were known as Covenanters. 

This, along with his struggles with Parliament, resulted in civil war across England, Scotland, and Ireland. In 1647, Charles was arrested by the Parliamentary forces under the command of Oliver Cromwell. Two years later he was tried and condemned to death. 

What role did this ampulla play?

This ampulla held the oil with which the king was anointed. It was used along with the Honours of Scotland. This crown, sword and sceptre date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These objects were first brought together for the coronation service of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. However, while the Honours were hidden when civil war broke out, the ampulla seems to have remained in the possession of the Edinburgh Town Clerk. 

You can find out more about the ampulla in this short film.

The coronation ampulla of Charles I is on display in the Kingdom of Scots at the National Museum of Scotland.