The upcoming coronation ofKing Charlesissteeped in centuriesof British tradition. And now, another significant element of the celebration has arrived at Westminster Abbey in advance of the May 6 ceremony: the Stone of Destiny, which will be placed underneath the Coronation Chair where King Charles will sit when he is crowned.
While it may appear to be a nondescript slab of rock, the gray block has a history that may date back to biblical times, according to some legends.
Some believe that the stone is the “Stone of Jacob” detailed in the Book of Genesis. In the passage, Jacob rested on a group of stones and received a vision from God, who promised Jacob ownership of the land on which he laid.
While the legend of the Stone of Scone traveling across continents was widely believed for many years, geologists who have studied the stone have disproven many of the surrounding beliefs. According toHistoric Environment Scotland, a public research institution based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the stone underwent a technical examination in 1998.
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Although its origin may be disputed, historians agree that the relic was used in coronation ceremonies for hundreds of years. And its more recent history is rife with conflict between Scotland and England.
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What followed was a back-and-forth with Scotland, when in 1924, Scottish politician David Kirkwood brought a bill toparliamentseeking the stone’s return. The bill was turned down, but the stone did return to Scotland in the 1950s when a group of students broke into Westminster Abbey and stole it.
The stone was then on display in Arbroath Abbey in Scotland until British police retrieved the stone again.
It wasn’t until 1996 when then-Prime MinisterJohn Majorannounced that it would finally be returned to Scotland — withQueen Elizabeth’s blessing — and on Nov. 15, 1996, the stone was officially handed over at the border between England and Scotland, perCNN.
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During the ceremony, the Stone of Scone will be held in King Charles’s coronation chair. The chair itselfhas had to undergo some renovationsin advance of Saturday’s ceremony, as it’s been marked with graffiti from local schoolboys and visitors — plus there’s a small piece missing from a 1914 bomb attack.
source: people.com
