The Stone of Destiny – an elongated block of sandstone – will be placed under the coronation chair where King Charles will sit when it is officially dedicated in ten days’ time.
Also known as the Stone of Beauty, it has long been an ancient symbol of the Scottish and British monarchy, having been used for the encumbrance of kings and queens since the 13th century.
While the stone’s origins are unclear, some place it in biblical times and identify it as the Stone of Jacob, taken by Jacob of Bethel on his way to Haran in the Middle East, as recorded in the book of Genesis.
But one academic threw cold water on this theory, arguing that it was “highly doubtful” that the theory used at the coronation was the “original” one from the Holy Land.
The original relic may have been traded by the Scots before it was stolen by the English in 1296, some believe.
The Stone of Destiny – an elongated block of sandstone – sits under the coronation chair where King Charles will sit when he is officially crowned on May 6.
The Stone of Destiny was brought back to Scotland in a ceremony in November 1996 after living in England for the past 700 years. He was put in a modified Land Rover which was driven through the streets in front of onlookers
Professor Ian Bradley, professor of cultural and intellectual history at the University of St Andrews, said the object was made of a type of sandstone “unknown” in the Middle East but “quite common” around Scone in Perthshire.
Scone is where England’s King Edward I looted the stone (from Scone Abbey) and brought it to London in 1296 – and some believe Edward was taken down with a fake.
The stone is laid before the coronation of King Charles III. moved from Edinburgh Castle to Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
“Edward confiscated it as part of his attempt to unite the Scottish Crown with that of England, thinking that the possession would make him the rightful King of Scotland and that any Scottish King elected later would be a usurper and would not be properly crowned”. writes Professor Bradley. in the new issue of the Church of Scotland’s Life and Work magazine.
“The sandstone of which it is composed is of a type relatively common both at Scone and Dunstaffnage, but unknown near Tara or the Middle East.”
Professor Bradley described the theory that Edward was taken down with forgeries as “interesting” but that “we just don’t know for sure”.
“I think it was probably the real stone used for Scottish crowns,” he told MailOnline.
According to legend, the Stone of Destiny began as a stone pillow that Jacob slept on when he dreamed of the ladder that led to heaven as described in Genesis 28:12-17.
According to various accounts, it made its way to Egypt and Spain, and then to Ireland, where it was placed on Tara, the sacred hill where the High Kings of Ireland were crowned.
It somehow ended up in Scotland, where it is said to have made its way from the Dál Riata colony to Dunstaffnage Castle near Oban – and was moved to Scone in Perthshire around 840.
It was seized by Edward I’s troops at Scone during the English invasion of Scotland in 1296.
“Before it was obliterated by the ‘hammer of the Scots’, as Edward was known, it played a key role in the coronation of Scottish kings for at least 400 years,” says Professor Bradley in his article.
The Coronation Chair with the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scones, in Westminster Abbey, London. The ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy, a large rectangular block of sandstone weighing over 150 kg, was confiscated by Edward I of England in 1296
The Stone of Destiny returned to Edinburgh in 1996 (pictured) in recognition of 700 years since it was conquered by England’s King Edward I
According to the academic, the stone has been used at the coronation of every English sovereign since 1307, with the exception of Mary I and Mary II.
READ MORE: Theft of the Stone of Destiny in 1950 led to one of the biggest manhunts in British history
The stone was finally found safe in April 1951
On Christmas Day 1950 it was stolen by four young Scottish robbers who sneaked into Westminster Abbey through a side door.
But unprepared for its weight – it weighed 24 bricks – activists dropped it and it broke in two when it hit the ground.
The stone was finally found safely on the altar of Arbroath Abbey in April 1951, encased in a saltire.
It was returned to Westminster Abbey soon after, and when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, it stood there under the coronation chair, just like her father before her.
Whether the sandstone slab under King Charles on May 6 is Middle Eastern or not, says Professor Bradley, it carries an “enormous weight of religious symbolism.”
He adds that “perhaps we shouldn’t let hard facts get in the way of legend and myth” as we begin our coronation celebrations.
“The Stone of Destiny symbolizes the sacred character and history of the monarchy in the British Isles and illustrates the considerable effort that has gone into connecting it with Old Testament kingship and biblical narratives,” he says.
The Daily Mail’s original coverage of the stone’s theft reported that the border between Scotland and England had been closed for the first time in 400 years
The historic Stone of Destiny is used on the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III. moved from Edinburgh Castle. Pictured here at Edinburgh Castle in the Crown Room, where it has been on display since its return in 1996
By order of the government, the stone was officially returned to Scotland in 1996 in recognition of the 700th anniversary of its conquest by Edward I.
In November it was driven from London to Scotland by police and army vehicles before being paraded down the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle in front of 10,000 people.
It has been on display in Edinburgh Castle’s Crown Room ever since, although it is being transported to Westminster in time for the coronation, or was only recently transported.
The exact timing of the carefully planned military operation to move the people was kept secret to avoid any risk of kidnapping.
King Charles is said to have said he would have been perfectly happy if the Stone of Destiny had remained in Scotland, but Downing Street insisted it had wandered south to Westminster Abbey.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
