The Mace-Bearer Magazine - Guild of Mace-Bearers

THERE SHALL BE A SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
38
“THERE SHALL BE A SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT”. Those are the words
engraved into the head of the Scottish Parliament’s mace, quoted
from the Scotland Act of 1998, an Act of the UK Parliament which
led to the creation of a Scottish Parliament.
The values of 'Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity' are
engraved on the inlaid gold banding at the head of the mace - these
are a reference to the ideals that the people of Scotland aspire to
for their Members of Parliament; and the mace was designed to
symbolise the relationship between Parliament, its people and the
land.
The mace and the values of the Scottish Parliament are intrinsically
linked together.
The mace was gifted to the Scottish Parliament by Her Majesty The
Queen at the Royal opening of the new Scottish Parliament on 1
July 1999. Addressing the 129 newly elected Members of the
Scottish Parliament, of which I was one, The Queen described the
mace as “a modern embodiment of an ancient symbol of power,
legitimacy and the relationship between Parliament and Crown”.
That ceremony took place in the Parliament’s interim
accommodation in the home of the Assembly Hall on the Mound,
the annual meeting place for the Church of Scotland’s General
Assembly. Since the completion of the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood, the mace has taken its place in our
Debating Chamber, in front of the Presiding Officer’s dais; an appropriate place given it’s designer’s remit that the
mace would represent the authority of the Presiding Officer.
The mace was designed and crafted by renowned Silversmith, Michael Lloyd, from Galloway in the south-west of
Scotland. The gold and silver from which it was crafted was donated by the gold panners of Scottish rivers.
The mace is always present when Parliament is in session. At other times, it remains in the Debating Chamber, in a
secure glass cabinet on view for the passing tour groups.
The mace takes on a ceremonial role during Royal occasions at the Parliament. Following the opening ceremonies of
1999, The Queen has returned to the Scottish Parliament a number of times and the mace always plays an important
role in these proceedings. The Parliament’s own mace bearer, Phil Horwood, also a Security Operations Manager,
carries the mace at the head of a procession into the Debating Chamber, which includes The Queen and The Duke of
Edinburgh, the Crown of Scotland and the Presiding Officers.
Thirteen years have now passed since the Scottish Parliament came into being. One thing is for sure: we politicians
will come and go, but the mace will continue to be a constant presence, representing the authority vested in the
Parliament for many years to come.
Tricia Marwick MSP, Presiding Officer, The Scottish Parliament