Should the William Wallace Letter go back to England ?

William Wallace Letter Could Leave Scotland After 14 Years

On this page you will find out about the Wallace Letter , carried by Braveheart into Europe , and its possible transfer to England

remarkable document with one of the closest surviving connections to William Wallace could soon leave Scotland, prompting a fresh campaign to keep it north of the border.

The 700-year-old parchment, generally known as the Wallace Letter or Wallace Letter of Recommendation, dates from 7 November 1300. It was written on behalf of King Philip IV of France to his representatives at the papal court in Rome, asking them to support Wallace in his dealings with Pope Boniface VIII.

Its importance lies partly in what it reveals — and partly in what it doesn’t.

After Braveheart Wallace and Andrew Murray’s extraordinary victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, Wallace became Guardian of Scotland. His fortunes changed after defeat at Falkirk in 1298, but rather than disappearing from the struggle for Scottish independence, Wallace travelled to France seeking international support.

The letter provides compelling evidence that Wallace was operating at the highest levels of European diplomacy. Philip IV instructed his agents to ask the Pope to look favourably upon Wallace concerning the business he wished to conduct. Exactly what that business involved remains one of the great mysteries surrounding Wallace. One theory is that his mission concerned restoring the deposed Scottish king John Balliol to the throne. We do not even know for certain whether Wallace reached Rome.

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What makes the document particularly evocative is the conclusion reached by historians in 2011: Wallace probably possessed the letter himself. If correct, this small piece of medieval parchment may actually have travelled through Europe in Wallace’s hands before eventually falling into English possession.

The document was rediscovered among records in the Tower of London in the 1830s and eventually became part of the collection of The National Archives. It returned to Scotland on loan in 2012 and has remained in the care of National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. Because of its fragility, it can only occasionally be displayed; more than 250 people came to see it during a rare five-hour exhibition on St Andrew’s Day in 2024.

That long-term loan is now scheduled to end in September 2026, when the document is due to return to The National Archives at Kew. The official catalogue confirms the September deadline.

A fresh petition is urging the Scottish Government to intervene and help ensure the letter remains in Scotland. For many Wallace enthusiasts, the argument is emotional as much as historical: this is not simply a medieval document mentioning Wallace. It may be something Wallace himself carried during his attempt to secure international support for Scotland.

For fans inspired by Braveheart, the letter is arguably more powerful than any movie prop or modern memorial. The film turned Wallace into a worldwide symbol of Scottish freedom, but this fragile piece of parchment brings us back to the real man behind the legend.

Some Braveheart fans, particularly overseas visitors who travel to Scotland specifically because of their fascination with Wallace, may find it difficult to understand why such a rare personal connection to Scotland’s national hero should leave the country after 14 years.

Legally, the document belongs in the collection of The National Archives, and its history is intertwined with archives on both sides of the border. But culturally and emotionally, campaigners have a straightforward argument:

If William Wallace’s story belongs anywhere, surely one of the few surviving objects he may actually have held belongs in Scotland.

The fascinating point for all Braveheart fans is that this story has a genuine angle too: visitors can stand at Stirling Bridge, visit the Wallace Monument and then connect those places with an authentic object potentially handled by Wallace himself.