The upcoming coronation of the King meant the revival of many artifacts and traditions that have not seen the light of day for decades. One of these is the Stone of Destiny, a heavy stone that was part of the throne in Westminster Abbey for centuries after it was stolen from Scotland. Monarchs of England and then Great Britain sat on the throne during coronation ceremonies, with the stone serving as a symbol of the monarchy’s power. The stone is more than half a meter long, with an iron ring on each side and a few crosses crudely carved into the surface, a far cry from the intricate carvings one expects for an ancient artifact of its importance. Although the pink pocket-marked stone rectangle, also called the Stone of Scone, looks simple, it symbolizes hundreds of years of power struggles and conflicts, with true Scottish kings traditionally crowned atop the stone for hundreds of years. In 1996, the stone was officially returned to Scotland. The coronation of King Charles III will be the first time it has been moved to Westminster since then.
HOW A STONE BECAME HOLY
No one really knows the full story of how and why this stone became such a huge symbol. Its earliest origins are lost to time, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages Edinburgh Castle where the stone is usually displayed. There are many legends about its origin, including that it dates back to biblical times and was the same stone described as a pillow by a prophet. According to the Historic UK website, legend holds that it was brought from Syria to Egypt to Spain by King Gathelus, whose descendant then brought the stone to Ireland. From there he moved to Scotland with the Scottish invaders, it is believed. The various stories about its origin often conflict with each other and with other historical events in terms of chronology. But history seems to agree that in 1296, after the stone had been used for hundreds of years in the crowning of Scottish kings, this ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy was confiscated by King Edward I of England. A new throne called the Coronation Chair was made to house the stone, stored on a shelf below the throne seat, and it was this throne that was used at all coronation ceremonies of subsequent monarchs of England and then Great Britain — including of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
RETURN TO WESTMINSTER
In 1996, Stone was painstakingly removed from the throne to be given back to Scotland. It took conservation specialists more than six hours to carefully remove the block from the Coronation chair. This was not the first time Scotland had tried to reclaim its property. In 1950, three students from the University of Glasgow broke into Westminster Abbey to retrieve the stone, falling to the floor in the process and breaking a corner. They managed to escape back to Scotland and three months later, the stone was discovered in an abbey in Scotland and then returned to Westminster Abbey. When the stone was officially returned to Scotland in 1996, 10,000 people queued to see it in procession to Edinburgh Castle. Although the date of King Charles III’s coronation has not been officially chosen, HES confirmed that the stone would travel back to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony. After that, the team said in a statement emailed to CTVNews.ca, it will be returned to Scotland.
