What is the Stone of Destiny?
A STONE with a lot of history is part of the King's Coronation on May 6,2023.
The journey of the Stone of Destiny is fascinating but what exactly has the stone to do with the Coronation?
What is the Stone of Destiny?
The Stone of Destiny also known as The Stone of Scone is a block of red sandstone.
In England it is also referred to as The Coronation Stone.
The stone weighs around 150kg and is an ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy and was used for centuries in the inaugurations of its monarchs.
The origin of the stone is unknown but it was held in Scone Abbey in Perthshire in Scotland before it was stolen by King Edward I in 1296.
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King Edward I built a throne around the stone, which was placed in the bottom of that chair.
Since 1296 the stone has been used for coronations for monarch of Great Britain in Westminster Abbey in London.
Will the Stone of Destiny be at King Charles' Coronation?
The Stone of Destiny is part of King Charles Coronation on May 6, 2023.
King Charles will sit in the King Edward's Chair when the Archbishop of Canterbury crowns him.
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Where is the Stone of Destiny kept?
The Stone of Destiny has been in Edinburgh Castle since 1996.
It is placed next to the crown jewels of Scotland in the Crown Room of the castle.
Before it was moved to Edinburgh the stone was kept in Westminster Abbey but it was stolen on Christmas Day in 1950.
Four Scottish students took the stone to bring it back to Scotland.
They buried the stone in a field in Kent before bringing it to the high altar of Arbroath Abbey.
The police in London were informed and returned the stone back to Westminster Abbey three months later after the heist.
It was used in Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953.
In 1996 the British and Scottish Government agreed that the stone should move back to Edinburgh Castle.
The Scottish Government announced in 2020 that the stone would move back to its first location in Perthshire in 2024.