Royal Legends

The Stone of Destiny (Page 2 of 2)

The Coronation Chair was built around the Stone of Destiny

And so the 'stone' sits comfortably in place under the throne in Westminster Abbey and presides at the coronation of subsequent Kings - the stone is unmoved for centuries until four Scottish Nationalist supporters decide to 'liberate' the famous Stone of Destiny.

Its Christmas day 1950 and four Scottish students are about to break into Westminster Abbey and perpetrate the biggest show of Scottish National defiance since the Jacobite uprisings. Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart are the unlikely heroes (or villains depending on your outlook). The stone was reluctant to leave the spot where it had lain comfortably for so long and in the process is broken in two - both halves are then smuggled over the border to Scotland (the border had been closed for the first time in 400 years!) where the stone was repaired by stonemason Robert Gray. A major hunt is undertaken by the British police force but draw a blank until April 1951 when the stone mysteriously appears in Arbroath Abbey. The stone is swiftly returned to Westminster but again the rumours abound that the stone had been copied. even that the stone was swapped with a copy that stands in Scone Palace meaning that the palace's real drain cover had finally returned!

Stone of Destiny taken by police after it was stolen by four students

Stone of Destiny taken by police after it was stolen by four students

One would have thought that there would have been some medieval penalty of death for such an act but amazingly the culprits were never charged. The Crown prosecution had trouble with presenting a case against them as they could not actually PROVE ownership of the stone!

In 1996 as the pressure in Scotland for a referendum on a devolved parliament began to gain momentum the British Government came up with the plan that passing back a lump of sandstone that was ours in the first place might take the heat out of the argument. So with great pomp and ceremony the stone is returned to Scotland (but to Edinburgh Castle rather than Scone - a decision intended to please the Tourists rather than the Historians. The stone is here to stay - but - when the time comes for the next Coronation it still has to go back to England to perform its civic duties.

With the nationalists in power in Scotland it may be a matter of time before the campaign for full independence becomes a serious possibility - what happens then? I'm guessing Mr Salmond (or his successor) will be saying 'awa an bile yer heid - ye cannae have it'!'. If England decides to come and have a go at taking it back there will be more fakes lying around the castle esplanade than there are dodgy tartan souvenirs in the Royal Mile!

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