The Coronation Stone: The Royal History of a Simple Stone
Beginning:
After Queen Elizabeth II's death on 8 September 2022, her eldest son Charles automatically became King. But according to the rules, his debut date has been fixed on May 6, 2023. After various ceremonies on that day, he will be announced as Charles III. One of them is to put him on the throne and crown him. The throne is preserved in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. According to Su King, a guide there, there is no older furniture in England.
Although it is a throne in name, it does not look very extraordinary. This chair has been given some luster by carving and placing gems. It is called Coronation Chair. Chairs will be brought to the venue before the ceremony, placed on a custom-made wooden platform. If you are interested, you may see a stone, chair and platform in the space. This stone was looted from Scotland by King Edward I, called the Coronation Stone.
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Coronation stone placed under the chair; Image Source: ancient-origins.net |
Coronation Stone
Coronation Stone is a very common sandstone. The weight of this yellowish stone is 152 kg, shaped like a suitcase. The design is simply a carved cross. Iron rings placed on both ends of the stone, probably for ease of carrying.
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Coronation Stone; Image Source: bbc.com |
But why so much tension with this stone? Because legend has it this stone is sacred. Its other name is Stone of Scone. Because over the ages, this stone has been an integral part of the coronation of Scottish kings in Scone, Scotland. Its third name is Lia Fail in the Gaelic language of Scotland.
The legend
Why exactly is the Coronation Stone considered sacred? According to a traditional Jewish legend, the Prophet Jacob (Hazrat Yaqub a.s. in Islam) used this stone as a pillow while he was in the town of Bethel. In another Jewish story, the Ark of the Covenant was placed on this stone in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.
According to the popular legend - this stone was once in Syria. From there, a Greek, Gathelus (Gathelus) took it with him to Egypt. Then Musa Trying to leave Egypt with the Jews, which is called the Exodus in the Bible. Gathelas married Scota, daughter of the then pharaoh. But Pharaoh and his army were buried in the Red Sea while chasing Musa A. Then Gathelas fled in fear, taking refuge in Spain. One of his descendants took the stone to Ireland and became its king.
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When the pharaoh died during the Exodus, Gathelas fled with the stone; Image Source: biblword.net |
The Coronation Stone is placed on top of the sacred Hill of Tara in Ireland. Kings of Ireland were inaugurated here. Since then the name of the stone became Lea Fail, meaning speaking stone. The tradition was that if the true heir to the throne stood in front of the stone, it would make noise, and silence if the false claimant.
Ireland to Scotland
Exactly how the Coronation Stone came to be in Scotland is not reliably explained. According to some, a famous ruler of Scotland, Fergus Mor, brought this stone around 500 AD. Fergus Mor was King of Dál Riata. This kingdom covered western Scotland and northeastern Ireland. Scottish historian David Hume claims - Fergus moved his court from Dunnadd to Argyll in 498 AD, and brought this stone from Ireland. Since then it has been used for the inauguration of Scottish kings.
According to another legend, the Egyptian princess Scota herself brought this stone to Scotland. But neither Fergus More nor Scotta are proven historical figures. The common belief is that when the Celtics invaded Ireland, they took this stone and came to Scotland.
Next destination is England
The coronation stone has graced the coronation of Scottish monarchs for centuries. John Balliol was the last on this list. He became king on November 30, 1292 with the support of the then Edward I of England. Naturally the English influence was very strong in his court. Balliol's idea of Edward's play began to take hold among the Scots. A group of them declared rebellion and joined hands with France.
England and France had a bad relationship at that time. Edward got it. In 1295, Balliol made a formal alliance with France to free himself from Edward. A year later, the King of England entered Scotland with Lokalskar. Before his forces, the Scottish forces were defeated at the Battle of Dunbar, and Balliol surrendered.
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Battle of Dunbar; Image Source: historic-uk.com |
Edward confiscated the Coronation Stone from Scone and took it to Westminster Abbey in 1297. The coronation chair and the platform for placing the stone were made under his instructions. At the inauguration of Edward II, the stone was placed between the first chair and the platform. It means that the King of England is wearing the crown of Scotland. Since then, the coronation stone has been seen at all the ceremonies of the kings and queens.
The Scottish story says that Edward did not get the real stone. As he slowly made his way to Scone, the monks of the monastery hid the Coronation Stone, replacing it with a local common stone. The king came back with that. Geological analysis has also shown that this stone is from the vicinity of Scone and not from the area of Bethel like the legendary stone. However, the researchers explained that if such a stone existed, it was probably lost centuries before Edward's expedition. Only then are the voids filled with local stone. So the fact that the monks hid the stones at that time is nothing but Galgappo.
Target of attack
In 1914, a radical group of suffragettes, who were campaigning for women's suffrage, attempted to destroy the Coronation Chair by exploding a bomb. The corner of the chair was broken but the stone was intact. The Coronation Stone was buried in Westminster Abbey to protect it from German bombing during World War II, and the Chair was hidden in Gloucester Cathedral.
The Coronation Stone represented the independent monarchs of Scotland, so it was of great value to Scottish nationalists. Four nationalist-minded Glasgow University students broke into Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve 1950 and stole the stone. The stone was split into two and carried to Scotland on the back of a car. The pair were then wrapped in the national flag of Scotland at the altar of the ruined Arbroath Abbey, a place of great importance to Scottish independence. Four months later the stones were recovered and returned to England, but no charges were brought against the thieves, fearing renewed political tension.
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The ruined Arboth Abbey; Image Source: adventuresaroundscotland.com |
Back to Scotland again
Edward II was willing to return the stone to Scotland in exchange for a peace treaty. But such an attempt failed in 1328 AD. The first Scottish king to be crowned without a Coronation Stone was Robert the Bruce, on 25 March 1306.
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Robert Bruce; Image Source: dailyrecord.co.uk |
In 1996, the then Prime Minister of England, John Major, returned the stone to Scotland. The condition was that the coronation stone should be lent when the king and queen were inaugurated. Around 10,000 people lined the streets of Edinburgh on November 30 to catch a glimpse of the stone. Since then, this royal stone has been under strict guard in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle.