Historic letter urging support for William Wallace displayed on St Andrew’s Day

Greater than 250 individuals turned as much as see the delicate doc which was solely on show for 5 hours to guard it from an excessive amount of daylight.

The letter from the King of France to his brokers on the papal courtroom in Rome, is named the “Wallace letter of advice”, and turned up amongst different historic paperwork within the Tower of London within the nineteenth century.

The letter dates from 1300, three years after Wallace and Andrew Moray led the Scots to victory over the English on the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

In 1300, Wallace and different Scottish knights had been in France, probably searching for assist from the French king for the restoration of the Scottish monarchy as a part of the resistance in opposition to King Edward I of England.

The French monarch’s letter urged allies to assist Wallace in “these issues which he has to transact”.

The doc was final displayed in 2018 and is saved out of the sunshine for years at a time to protect it for future generations.

The Nationwide Information of Scotland, which runs the nationwide archive at Basic Register Home in Edinburgh, put the delicate fragment of parchment on show for 5 hours solely.

There is no such thing as a proof that Wallace ever reached Rome and 5 years later, he was captured by the English, taken to London and executed.

Archivist Jocelyn Grant mentioned: “It was a pleasure to place this uncommon doc on present, alongside two tapestries impressed by it, and the so-called Lubeck letter.

“It was good to see so many individuals make the most of one of many few alternatives to see this doc in-person; in addition to the tapestries.

“Expert weavers from the Dovecot studios created them in 2012, and that is the primary time they’ve been on show since then.”