The Stone of Destiny.

What a wonderfully romantic name the, 'Stone of Destiny'. But, I hear you ask, what is it?

The Stone of Destiny, or as it is sometimes called the Stone of Scone - for reasons that will become apparent, is a block of sandstone which measures 26 inches long, 16 inches wide, 11 inches high and weighs 336 lbs or 152 kg. Yet this unassuming block of stone has been revered for centuries as a holy relic, fought over by nations and used successively by Dalriadic, Scottish, English and British monarchs as an important part of their enthronement ceremonies.

The Stone has only one inscription, best described as a Latin cross, which gives no clue to the Stones heritage. So where did the Stone come from?

The Stone allegedly originates from the Middle East and was subsequently brought to Scotland, arriving here around 850 AD. The Stones history, however, stretches back to biblical times when Jacob is said to have used the Stone as a pillow. The Stone was then shipped through Egypt, Sicily, Spain and Ireland before, as said, arriving in Scotland.

Sir Compton MacKenzie - the famous writer, literary critic and amateur politician - disputed this line of events. He believed the Stone to have been quarried on the West Coast of Scotland near Oban, although it has to be said that he offered little proof. However an additional and more specific explanation, which supports the Middle East origins of the Stone, hails from the ancient Irish Kingdom of Dalriada which existed from around 400 AD to, conveniently, about 850 AD.

Dalriadic Kings were enthroned at sacred ceremonies in which an enthroning stone which had been blessed by St. Patrick was used. The Stone embodied St. Patricks message in that wherever the Stone lay the race of Erc should reign. Hence the Stones title - Stone of Destiny. Erc was the first King of the Antrim Dal Riata tribe, and Antrim is, of course, in Ireland. After many years and battles with the Picts, Britons and Saxons alongside others, Kenneth I, 36th King of Dalriada, moved his seat to Scotland. He moved it, in fact, to Scone, in Perthshire.

The Stone was used at Iona, Dunadd, Dunstaffnage and Scone for enthroning Dalriadic monarchs. In 1292 John Balliol became the last King to use the Stone in Scotland as it was removed by Edward I of England in 1296, taken south and placed in Westminster Abbey. Edward believed, mistakenly, that possession of the Stone gave him sovereignty of Scotland. In 1328 though the Scots won the Stones return under the Treaty of Northampton but sadly the Stone never moved from underneath the Coronation Throne in the Abbey as the English reneged on the promise. Has it moved back to Scotland since?

On Christmas day 1950 the Stone was taken from Westminster Abbey by a group of Scottish Nationalists and subsequently went 'missing.' It was 'found' about 4 months later after having been placed in Arbroath Abbey and was returned to Westminster. 'Missing' and 'found'?

It is strongly rumored that the Stone was never 'missing' - at least not from those who know - and was never truly 'found.' The Scots who took the Stone from Westminster had a replica made, which it is estimated would take about 4 months, and placed the replica in Arbroath. The replica was then 'retaken' and placed in Westminster Abbey. Therefore, it is in fact the real Stone which is now on display, as a purported replica, at Scone Palace, the Stones right and proper home. But that, of course, is only a rumor.

So, by now you are asking yourself why St. Patricks blessing embodied in the Stone has failed? Well, it hasn't really. If you remember that wherever the Stone rests the race of Erc shall rule, we'll go on.

The Scottish Kings were descended from the Irish Kings. It follows that the royal line of Scots are descendants of the first Dalriadic King - King Erc. The English royal line failed with Elizabeth I in 1603 when, thereafter, James VI of Scotland also became James I of England. Apart from a brief spell between 1649 and 1660, when the English refused to hold Charles II of Scotland as their monarch, the Scots have been the true descendants of what is now held to be the British royal family. So Elizabeth II, the present Queen, is in fact a descendent of Erc. St. Patricks blessing seems to have worked and the Stone of Destiny has fulfilled its promise. King Ercs family still reign.

From 1603, when James VI of Scotland took the throne in England, to the present day the Stone of Destiny has been used in the Westminster coronation of every single 'British' monarch.

Or has it?

Perhaps Elizabeth II, whose coronation was held in Westminster Abbey in 1952, should have travelled to Scone!