[MR] BBC: Search for Missing Chips from Stone of Scone

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

Well, this is a modern story, but a tale about a treasured medieval relic,
Scotland's Stone of Destiny or the Stone of Scone. [Pronounced "scoon", but
so is the pastry.]

As most Scottish history mavens will emphatically tell you, the Stone of
Scone was used in the traditional coronation ceremony by Scottish kings. So
it was until Edward I's minions stole the Stone in 1296 and carted it off
to England. It was incorporated into the coronation throne in Westminster
Abbey, doing pretty much the same function for English monarchs, but also
serving as a galling reminder to the Scots of the English claim to rule
Scotland.

Fast forward to 1950, when a group of patriotic Scottish university
students "liberated" the stone from London, and smuggled it to Scotland in
the boot of a seriously overloaded Ford Anglia (an earlier version of the
flying car in Harry Potter films). In the process the stone broke into two
pieces along a crack caused by a 1914 terrorist bomb explosion that was
part of the suffragette movement. Back in Scotland, the Stone of Scone was
repaired by stone mason and nationalist politician Bertie Gray. Gray
inserted three metal pins into the stone, but in the process a number of
small chips were broken off (officially 34). These chips were numbered and
recorded to prevent fraud, then were secretly given to various Scottish
patriots including the "commandos" who brought the stone back to Scotland.

The repaired Stone of Scone was left on the altar in the ruined Arbroath
Abbey in March 1951, and an anonymous call to the police led to its
recovery and return to London. In 1996, the Stone was formally returned to
Scotland and displayed beside the Scottish royal regalia ("The Honors of
Scotland") at Edinburgh Castle. In 2023 the Stone briefly returned to
England for the coronation of King Charles III (who is, after all, also
King of Scots). In 2024 the stone became the centerpiece at the new Perth
Museum (close to Scone Abbey) where it is expected to remain. Given its
peripatetic history, whether this will be for eternity is questionable,
though loan for future coronations is likely.

Now to the chips! The hunt is on by Stirling University Professor Sally
Foster to locate the chips. A tall order, and only four have thus far been
traced. What has become of the remaining 30 is a mystery, and so is what
should be done with them. They are, after all, part of a historical
artefact owned by the Scottish Nation, and technically could be seized.

You can read the story of the hunt at
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79d120x2pzo .

The two guards in the lead photo are members of "The Royal Company of
Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland". This quasi-military unit
provides the guard of honor for Royal visits to Scotland and other
ceremonial functions (the archers stood guard over Queen Elizabeth II's
casket when it lay in state in Edinburgh). Their official side arms are yew
longbows and arrows in their belts. They also shoot very real yew longbows
for sport, and membership is a prized honor.

More about the Stone of Scone's history is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (Whose first car was a very underpowered 1957
Ford Anglia!)
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.