Municipal Perspective, Royal Expectations, and the Use of Public Space: The Case of the West Port, Edinburgh, 1503-1633

摘要

Scottish triumphal entries were regularly staged in Edinburgh between 1503 and 1633, representing the constant renegotiation of the relationship between ruler and municipal authorities. The evolution of this relationship was publicly staged in the public spaces and streets of the city during triumphal entries. This piece will discuss the significance of particular buildings as urban landmarks representing the values of the bourgeois community, in particular of the West Port. An unusual and challenging use of urban space by Queen Mary Stuart in 1561 represented an attempt to tip the balance of power between royal and urban authority in the sovereigns' favour. The straightforward opposition of the municipal authorities to such a defiant act, and the measures adopted to counterbalance it, emphasise the general awareness of the importance of controlling urban spaces to proclaim absolute power or to defend traditional independence.