The Stone of Destiny is an ancient symbol used in the coronation of Scottish kings. In 1950, four Scottish university students secretly removed the stone from Westminster Abbey in London, claiming they were reclaiming a national treasure taken by England in 1296. The stone, which weighed about 150 kilograms, was hidden inside the Coronation Chair used for royal ceremonies.
During the raid, the stone accidentally broke into two pieces. One fragment was briefly lost on the street, while the other was buried in the countryside before both parts were eventually transported back to Scotland. The students hid the stone with the help of supporters and secretly repaired it.
In April 1951, the restored stone was placed at Arbroath Abbey, a symbolic site for Scottish independence. Authorities later returned it to Westminster Abbey but chose not to prosecute the students. Decades later, in 1996, the British government officially returned the Stone of Destiny to Scotland, where it remains today, although it must be brought back to London for future royal coronations.
Vocabulary:
• Reclaim - To take back something that was lost or taken
• Coronation - The ceremony where a king or queen is crowned
• Fragment - A small broken piece
• Smuggle - To move something secretly and illegally
• Prosecute - To officially charge someone in court
• Nationalist - A person who strongly supports their country’s independence
• Custody - Legal care or control
• Restoration - The process of repairing something
Source: BBC