London: A thorn that is claimed to be a relic from Jesus`s crucifixion crown would soon go on display at the British Museum in London.
The crown of thorns is said to have been seized from Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, during the Fourth Crusade - around A.D. 1200 - and was later sold to King Louis IX of France while he was in Venice.
King Louis kept the relic in the specially-built Saint Chapel and the thorns were broken off from the crown and given as gifts to people who married into the family.
The thorn at Stonyhurst College - a 400-year-old boarding school in Lancashire - was said to have been given to Mary Queen of Scots who married into the French royal family and she took it with her to Edinburgh.
After her execution in 1587, it was passed from her loyal servant, Thomas Percy, to his daughter, Elizabeth Woodruff, who then gave it to a Jesuit priest in 1600.
The priest brought it to the college and it has been kept at the Ribble Valley College ever since, the Daily Mail reported.
The thorn now is to be loaned to the British Museum for a new exhibition - "Treasures of Heaven" - inspired by saints, relics and devotion in medieval Europe.
The thorn has Mary Queen of Scots`s pearls twined around it.
Jan Graffius, curator at Stonyhurst, said: "It is an incredible object and we are really delighted that it will form part of the British Museum exhibition. It is a priceless treasure."
The exhibition will open June 23 and run till Oct 9.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.