THE iconic Stone of Destiny has left Edinburgh Castle for the first time in over two decades as it heads to Westminster Abbey for the King’s coronation.
The ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy was at the center of a ceremonial procession as it left Edinburgh Castle’s Great Hall for its temporary relocation to London.
The procession was led by Lord Lyon King of Arms, the monarch’s representative in Scotland, and First Minister Humza Yousaf, in his capacity as the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, one of the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia.
The Stone will be placed under the Coronation chair in Westminster Abbey for use in the ceremony on Saturday May 6, and is expected to return to Scotland in the weeks that follow.
Yousaf said after the service, which saw the historic stone piped out: “It was a very significant, historical moment. I’m delighted to be a part of it.”
Colin Muir, senior stone conservator at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has the task of helping to ensure that the stone gets to London safely and is installed into the Coronation Chair.
“We’ve assembled a team that’s involved in the transportation and installation of the stone and as part of today’s events we were carrying it as a symbolic gesture through Edinburgh on its departure,” he said.
The stone weighs 125kg but the team of six who carried it were lifting around 164kg given the equipment needed to transport it out of the Great Hall.
The Coronation Chair was specially built with the stone underneath, and getting it back in will be a challenge.
“It’s extremely tight. In fact, it will not go in straight. It’s got bare millimetres to spare,” Muir said.
Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at HES, said: “It is a tremendous privilege for HES to play its part in such a significant and historic occasion, as the Stone of Destiny leaves Edinburgh Castle for the first time in over 25 years.
“It is also a great responsibility to ensure the safe voyage and return of such an important national symbol, and one which has required the care, skill and expertise of a range different specialist teams across our organisation. It is fitting to have the opportunity to celebrate that work today.
“We are working closely with the Conservation team at Westminster Abbey on the installation of the Stone into the base of the Coronation Chair, using the latest techniques and technology.”
The First Minister said: “The Stone of Destiny has a rich and varied history and has been used for centuries in coronations. It will play an integral part in the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
“In my role as Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, I am one of the four Commissioners all appointed by Royal Warrant to safeguard the Regalia of Scotland, which includes the Stone of Destiny.
“One of the duties of the Commissioners is to ensure that the Stone is made available for use in coronations and that it is subsequently returned to Scotland.
“I look forward to seeing the Stone take its place in the Coronation Chair when I attend the ceremony on 6 May.”
We previously told how the FM said he would make sure the Stone of Destiny “comes back up the road” ahead of the ceremony on Thursday.
The stone will be transported in a special carrier constructed largely from Scottish oak, which was made by the in-house carpentry team at HES to protect it while in transit.
The Stone of Destiny has been used for centuries in the coronations of monarchs and the inauguration of Scottish kings.
The earliest use of the stone and exactly how and when it became associated with king-making remains unknown, but legends around its origin strongly link it with kingship and the emergence of Scotland as a nation.
The last Scottish King to be inaugurated using a Stone at Scone was John Balliol in 1292.
The last time it featured in a ceremony was for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
It was officially returned to Scotland in November 1996 and put on display at Edinburgh Castle on St Andrew’s Day that year.
