Stone of Destiny to be sent from Scotland for coronation of King

THE historic Stone of Destiny is to be moved from Edinburgh Castle for the coronation of King Charles.

An integral part of the royal ceremony, the stone is a symbol of monarchy both north and south of the English-Scots border.

Now held in the Crown Room of the castle, the red sandstone weighing 24 stone (152kg) – which is also known as the Stone of

Scone – will be transported by a team of experts once the date of the coronation is known.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages the castle, will arrange for it to be taken to Westminster Abbey.

Last night, a spokeswoman for HES told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It will be getting moved by Historic Environment Scotland from the castle to the coronation – just before the coronation. Then it will be brought back to Scotland.’

When Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 at Westminster Abbey, her throne sat above the stone.

After being a symbol of Scottish monarchy for centuries, it was seized by English forces led by King Edward I in 1296 and taken to Westminster Abbey, where it was built into his throne to show that Edward, known as the ‘Hammer of the Scots’, had conquered Scotland.

There it remained for hundreds of years until it was ‘reclaimed’ by Scottish Nationalists in 1950. On Christmas Day, four Scottish students led a daring raid into Westminster Abbey and brought the stone back to Scotland.

English detectives were left scrambling trying to locate it. However, it was eventually found, having been placed at the high altar in the ruins of Arbroath Abbey, in the county of Angus, three months later.

It was moved back down to Westminster Abbey, in time for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, where it remained until 1996.

In 1996, to mark the 700th anniversary of the stone’s original removal from Scotland, it was returned – with the consent of the Queen – and placed in Edinburgh Castle on St Andrew’s Day.

Giving a statement to the House

Commons at the time, former prime minister John Major said: ‘With permission I should like to make a statement about the

Stone of Destiny.

‘I now wish to inform the house, that on advice of her majesty’s ministers, the Queen has agreed that the stone should be returned to Scotland.

‘I believe that on this the 700th anniversary of its removal from Scotland it is appropriate to return it to its historic homeland.’