Entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark

[1] 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 in many respects to those performed in many other European towns.

[4] On 30 August 1589 James VI declared to the commissioners of his burgh towns that his marriage negotiations were concluded, and his bride Anne of Denmark was expected to arrive in Scotland.

James VI wrote to his nobles and gentry on 30 August 1589 to send food from their estates for Anne's reception, asking the Laird of Arbuthnott and Sir Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch to provide "fat beef, mutton on foot, wild fowls and venison, to be delivered to Walter Naish Master of the Royal Larder.

[10] Similar royal entries had been provided for James VI in October 1579 when he left his childhood household at Stirling Castle, and for Mary, Queen of Scots, who returned from France in 1561.

Town officials wore black velvet cloaks and crimson doublets, as did 12 men appointed to carry the queen's canopy, and young townsmen in taffeta costumes accompanied the "convoy" of the triumphal cart.

This included a covered walkway called a "trance" from the quayside steps to the King's Wark where there was a temporary wooden stair, platform, and entry into the Queen's Lodging on the first floor.

[27] The Gideon began to leak, and Peder Munk told Anne that the hold was filling with water despite the prayers and requests of the learned academics and diplomats Paul Knibbe and Niels Krag.

On account of the "sundrie contrarious windis" that delayed the Danish fleet, on 11 October James VI asked East coast mariners and ship masters to come to Leith.

[38] After some correspondence with his mother-in-law, Sophie of Mecklenburg, they travelled to Varberg and crossed from Helsingborg to Elsinore, or Helsingør, in Denmark to join the Danish royal court.

The idea that James VI and Anna of Denmark were in peril at sea by a "conspiracy of witches" appeared in the masque at the baptism of Prince Henry in 1594, when their good fortune was depicted by a ship in the Great Hall of Stirling Castle.

[53] James VI sent orders that John Carmichael should raise a company of 200 soldiers to attend his landing, and restrain those trying to meet him at Leith, including "nobility and ladies".

[54] Carmichael's instructions for the welcome also requested fireworks and the Flemish sugarman, Jacques de Bousie, was to prepare confections and sweetmeats for banquets at the landing.

James VI presented the skipper of Admiral Munk's ship, the pilots, and the trumpeters, violers and kettle drummers at the Shore with forty gold rose noble coins, accounted from his dowry.

[62] The Danish ambassadors requested permission to use the time before the coronation to view and take sasine of the lands and palaces given to Anne of Denmark by James VI as a "morning gift".

The English ambassador Robert Bowes heard the Danish commission was dissatisfied with the value of the lands and the state of the buildings, and they insisted the queen should have as good a settlement as that given by James IV to Margaret Tudor in 1503.

[71] Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar adjusted the queen's clothing to expose her shoulder and upper right arm, and Robert Bruce anointed her with oil.

Bruce acknowledged her as "our most gracious lady and queen of Scotland" in Scots, and David Lindsay, the minister who had married them, repeated the speech in French, which she knew better.

Andrew Melville recited his Latin poem, the Stephaniskion[permanent dead link‍]; Bruce spoke on the great benefits the marriage had brought, and asked the people to pay homage.

The Bible was bought from Nicoll Uddart, bound in gilt Morocco leather, and presented in a pocket made of purple velvet supplied by Robert Jousie.

[93] An African man described as "ane Moir" was a member of Anne of Denmark's household in October 1590 and was bought clothes with the queen's pages, although it not known if this was the same person as the leader of the "moors" at the Entry.

[104] Outside St Giles Kirk there was a large stage, on which stood the mother Virtue or Piety crowned with her four daughters dressed in black silk with chaplets of flowers on their head.

Each daughter then came forward, Prudence with an astrolabe in her hand, who counselled against the laziness that brings misfortune; Justice, with her sword and scales, explained that strong castles are built on the principle of equity; Fortitude, with the club of Hercules and a shield, advised humility in success and patience in failure to disregard sorrow.

Another account of the event says they held the usual traditional attributes, Prudence a serpent and dove, Fortitude a broken pillar, and Temperance a cup of wine.

[106] Anne of Denmark got out of her coach and walked into St Giles under the red velvet canopy or "paill" flanked by Peder Munk and Lord Hamilton, while a choir sang Psalm 19.

Adrian Damman explains that at Holyrood they tied bronze bells to the white buskins or shanks they wore on their lower legs, and began to dance, in contrast to their slow processional walk, as if they were Corybants followers of the goddess Cybele.

[116] The jewel had remained in the family of a previous Provost, Alexander Clerk, and was delivered to William Fairlie, who commissioned the goldsmith David Gilbert to remake and enlarge it as a gift to present to the queen.

[120] Danish gentlemen in Edinburgh included the councillors: Admiral Peder Munk, Steen Brahe, Breide Rantzau, and Dr Nicolaus Theophilus; and the gentlemen: Ove Liunge, Jørgen Brahe (1553–1601), Hannibal Gyldenstierne of Restrup (1548–1608), Henning Giøye (marshal), Anders Thot, Steen Biter, Jakob Krabbe, Erik Kaas, Christian Friis, Cirsysest Tinshome, Bekis Linffinkit, Henning Reventlow (1551–1624), and "Pachin Webenn" or Joachim von Veltheim (1564–1621) from Braunschweig.

In December 1592 Anne of Denmark herself performed in costume in a masque at Holyrood Palace to celebrate her birthday and the wedding of her maid of honour, Marie Stewart.

[139] A Scottish narrative inspired a version printed in London, The ioyfull receiuing of Iames the sixt of that name King of Scotland, and Queene Anne his wife, into the townes of Lyeth and Edenborough the first daie of May last past.

[140] A poem on the marriage by Jacob Jacobsen Wolf, known as Volfius, was printed as the Carmen in Nuptias Jacobi VI Regis Scotiae et Annae Frederici II filiae (Copenhagen: Lorentz Benedicht, 1590).