EDINBURGH, April 28, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - The Stone of Destiny, a sacred slab of

sandstone that became a symbol of Scottish nationhood, left Edinburgh Castle
for London late Thursday, where it will play a key role in King Charles III's
coronation.

The 152-kilogram (335-pound) stone, seized from the Scots by the king of
England Edward I in 1296, is being taken to Westminster Abbey in London for
the May 6 ceremony.

Officials at Edinburgh Castle, where it is kept with the Scottish crown
jewels, held a special ceremony to bid temporary farewell to the legendary
stone.

It has not been taken out of Scotland since 1996 when it was officially
returned following a 700-year absence.

The Stone of Scone, as it is also known, was transported south from Edinburgh
under tight security and will be placed beneath the Coronation Chair at the
abbey for Charles's enthronement.

Legend has it that the stone was brought from the Holy Land through Egypt,
Sicily and Spain to Ireland before being placed in a monastery in Scone in
Scotland in the 9th century.

It was then used for centuries in the inauguration of Scottish kings.

But David Breeze, a professor of history and archaeology from the University
of Edinburgh, said it is highly likely that the stone originates from the
ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland.

"The origin of the stone has long been shrouded in myth," he told Times
Radio.

"The connection with the Middle East is strong and in the Middle Ages the
idea that the stone had been Jacob's pillow was used to justify territorial
aggrandisement.

"We believe the link to Scone is strong and it is highly likely that its
origins lie in the ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland."

Edward ordered it to be built into the Coronation Chair in London in 1296.

The stone remained in Westminster Abbey for most of the next 650 years, until
Christmas Eve 1950 when a group of Scottish students took part in an
audacious raid to retrieve it.

It was taken back to London in 1951 and returned to Westminster Abbey, where
it was placed back in the throne before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
in 1953.

The stone was returned to Edinburgh in 1996 on condition that it be returned
for the coronation of future kings and queens.