A rare wine glass reported to have been used by the famous Bonnie Prince Charlie has been sold at a £25,000 price tag in an Edinburgh auction house.
The Jacobite glass was the property of Bruce of Cowden, a staunch supporter of the Jacobite movement, and was once used during a banquet where supporters rallied for the 1745 rebellion against the House of Hanover. The Lyon and Turbull Auction House had expected the glass to raise approximately £10,000, but hotly contested bidding meant that more than double the amount being realised. The glass was eventually bought by bidder who remained anonymous.
Tradition dictated that once a toast was raised, the glass used had to be broken so that an inferior toast could not be given from the same glass. The glass in question had been repaired at some point, with the addition of a silver foot. It is around this foot that an inscription revealing the toast that Bonnie Prince Charlie gave has been engraved. It reads, ‘God Blis King James the Eight’, clearly referring to his father, the Stuart pretender.
The description given by the auction house states:
“It is a regularly recorded Jacobite toast and undoubtedly the toast which the glass gave. Showing such an obvious toast to the Stuart king without symbolism and hidden intent shows the confidence its owners felt.”
The auctioneers also felt that the inclusion of the silver foot was an important indication of how significant the engraved wine glass had become, especially in its early life.
