culture
| Real-life tales
THE STORY BEHIND… A new historic fiction book, The Queen’s Lender, gives the spotlight to George Heriot, royal goldsmith during the reign of King James VI
T
he name George Heriot may sound familiar, even if you’re not au fait with 16th and 17th-century Scottish history. It’s the name of what is arguably Edinburgh’s most prestigious school, which stands just south of the city’s Old Town and which some say was the chief inspiration behind J K Rowling’s Hogwarts. But have your ever wondered who George Heriot was, and how he came to amass such fortune and fame that he founded a major learning institution? Well, a new novel sheds light and intrigue on the man himself. George Heriot was a goldsmith, who followed in the footsteps of his father (also George), who came from a well-connected Haddingtonshire family, and was himself a goldsmith, and a member of the Parliament of Scotland. The younger George quickly made a name for himself in Edinburgh, selling jewellery from a luckenbooth (a common style of lockable booth on the Royal Mile) and by the 1590s was the favoured jeweller of Queen Anne of Denmark, James VI’s wife, who in 1597 appointed him as her official goldsmith. It’s this relationship that author Jean Findlay explores in her new book, The Queen’s Lender. The title may seem incongruous with the story at first glance, but it’s this aspect of George Heriot’s career, that makes for such an enthralling read. Though in the late 16th century James VI was King of Scotland, it was considered small fry compared with the
80 Scotland
position of his cousin (twice removed) Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Ireland, and the role came with far fewer riches. Anne had a penchant for expensive jewels and when money was short, George worked for promises of payment from the queen, which were recorded by the Chancellor – so Heriot was effectively lending her money. It may seem an unusual arrangement, but with his eyes
LEFT TO RIGHT: George Heriot, royal goldsmith for Queen Anne of Denmark and King James VI; Queen Anne of Denmark
