The Stone of Destiny or Stone of Scone

With the coronation of King Charles III, the Stone of Destiny, or Stone of Scone has been back in the news. Read on, for an interesting taste of the past and present.

King's Bodyguards for Scotland and Royal Company of Archers, stand guard by the Stone of Destiny at Westminster Abbey. Reuters 2023

By Dave Johnston

The Stone of Scone is garnering increased interest for several reasons.

Recent research leading up to the Coronation revealed several new finds - including mysterious markings. The researchers at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) used cutting-edge scanning tools to create a 3D model of the stone. They also conducted an X-ray fluorescence analysis that revealed the object’s elemental composition. Key findings include previously unseen markings that could be the Roman numeral for 35, traces of copper alloy and gypsum plaster, and tool marks left during both the stone’s original carving and a 1951 repair.

For the first time since the Stone was returned to Scotland in 1996, the stone made its journey back to Westminster Abby for the Coronation of King Charles III. The last time it was featured in a ceremony was for Queen Elizabeth’s II Coronation in 1953, and it almost never made it. Prior to the ceremony, the stone was stolen from Westminster Abbey by a gang of Scottish nationalists.

Some believe the stone used in the coronations is a fake and that the original stone which was reputed to be from Biblical times, was swapped out by the Scots before it was stolen by the English in 1226. This reportedly swapped stone was at the time identified as the Stone of Jacob, taken by Jacob from Bethel while on the way to Haran in the Middle East, as told in the Book of Genesis.