Who is this King of Glory? Robert I of Scotland (1306-29), Holy Week and the consecration of St Andrews Cathedral

Citation

Penman MA (2016) Who is this King of Glory? Robert I of Scotland (1306-29), Holy Week and the consecration of St Andrews Cathedral. In: Buchanan K, Dean L L & Penman M (eds.) Medieval and Early Modern Representations of Authority in Scotland and the British Isles. London: Routledge, pp. 85-104. https://www.routledge.com/products/9781472424488

Abstract
This paper explores for the first time the use of liturgy and ceremonial as part of Robert I/Bruce's attempts to legitimise his regime as king of Scots during the Wars of Indpendence, focussing in particualr on his association with particualr religious festivals and their symbolic importance to concepts of kingship. Case studies include Robert's inauguration as king in 1306 coincident with a feast of the Virgin and Palm Sunday; his consecration of St Andrews Cathedral, Fife, in 1318, and its assocuiation with a wider context of saints' cults and relics, in defiance of Papal censure; and his association of the final peace treaty with England of 1328 with Easter celebrations.

Keywords
Scotland; medieval; kingship; Robert I; Bruce; England; religion; liturgy; ceremony; St Andrews; Scone; Holyrood; Dunfermline; Papacy; excommunication

People

Dr Michael Penman

Senior Lecturer, History