[MR] BBC: Stone of Scone Finds New Home

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, especially Fellow Scots,

Today the BBC is offering a piece on the Stone of Scone's latest home at
the newly-opened Perth Museum (it is pronounced like "stain of scoon").

The stone, an oblong piece of red sandstone, is also known as the "Stone of
Destiny" by modern Scots, and the "Coronation Stone" by the English. It was
traditionally used during the coronation ceremony for Scottish monarchs.
The stone was kept at Scone Abbey near Perth, thus the original name. In
1296 during his conquest of Scotland, Edward I of England stole the stone
(Boo! Hiss!). Taken to London it was incorporated into a wooden chair, and
subsequently used in the coronation of all English and British monarchs at
Westminster Abbey.

Some Scottish patriots claim the Coronation stone is actually a fake, made
by the Scots to deceive Edward. The charge is beyond proof at this point,
and the Scots don't have an alternative stone.

The Stone of Scone was damaged in 1914 by a bomb planted by Women's
Suffrage supporters. Unnoticed at the time, the bomb caused the stone to
crack.

In 1950 the Stone was "liberated" from Westminster Abbey by a group of
Scottish nationalist university students. During the theft, the crack
opened, splitting the stone into two pieces. The Stone was secretly
repaired by a Scottish stone mason, and was eventually deposited on the
altar at the ruined Arbroath Abbey, a spot held sacred to Scottish
nationalists because of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, which asserted
Scottish independence. The four thieves and some accomplices were later
identified, but none were prosecuted. The stone was returned to Westminster
Abbey.

In 1996 the Stone returned to Scotland, escorted by the Scotland's Royal
Company of Archers, each carrying a yew longbow and the requisite three
arrows in their belts. The Stone was placed on display at Edinburgh Castle
amid the "Honors of Scotland", Scotland's royal regalia. It was one of the
castle's most popular attractions. [I stood in line almost an hour to see
it in 2017, and that was a mid-week off-season day.] It was briefly
returned to London for Charles III's coronation.

So now the Stone of Scone moves on to display at the Perth Museum,
naturally escorted by security guards, and hopefully safe in its new place
of honor. By agreement it will be loaned back to the British monarchy for
future coronations.

Here is the BBC story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-68625908 .

Photos of the Stone of Scone's 1996 return, including the Royal Company of
Archers, are at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-59394186 .

More on the Stone of Scone is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_scone .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.