Strands of hair once belonging to Mary Queen of Scots are set to go up for sale as part of an ‘unusual’ collection of memorabilia belonging to one of the country’s most famous monarchs.
The 16th-century pieces - which are more than 400 years old - have been cut from a longer portion of Mary’s hair belonging to the UK’s foremost collector of historical locks.
The strands, contained inside a locket bearing a portrait of the monarch, appear to prove Mary was not the ‘radiant redhead’ portrayed on films and television, according to the Daily Record.
Mary reigned as queen of Scotland from the age of just six days old following the death of her father, James V, in 1542.
She was later forced to abdicate by her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, in 1567 after being judged as a contender to the throne and winning the support of many English catholics.
Mary was executed by beheading in February 1587, aged 45, after allegedly plotting to kill Elizabeth.
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Strands of hair are now set to be sold off to collectors of royal paraphernalia, priced at £399 per half inch.
Daniel Wade, from Bristol-based Paul Fraser Collectibles, handling the sale, said: “It’s a step beyond Mary’s signature or an item of her clothing."
