Cabinet

This elaborate cabinet, veneered in red tortoiseshell with heart-shaped panels and silver and silver-gilt mounts (on a later stand), was thought in the 19th century to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots. It bears an inscription which records that it was brought from France to Scotland by Mary and given to the Regent, Lord Mar. It passed by descent to the Belhaven family and was bequeathed to Queen Victoria by Robert, 8th Baron Belhaven and Stenton with the request that it be preserved either at Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse. As the cabinet is clearly of 17th century manufacture, the traditional association with Mary, Queen of Scots (who died in 1587) is clearly fictitious. The cabinet opens to eight drawers, a broken pediment and coat of arms above concealed mirrored room with ebony and ivory chequered parquetry.