Stone of Destiny

It was only a rock. A big lump of sandstone, you might pass right by it. But to us it was the symbol of our freedom, of our independence. We didn't realize it, of course. We learned as children, how it was the Scottish stone of kings. But they took it from us. And as a nation, I suppose we've forgotten about it. Time does that. It was history.
~ Ian Hamilton in Stone of Destiny


You can see the Stone of Destiny (a.k.a. the Stone of Scone) in the above picture. It was used in the coronation ceremonies of Scottish royalty until it was taken by the English in 1296 and placed in Westminster Abbey. English kings and queens are coronated seated above the Stone and are proclaimed the ruler of Scotland as well.

The movie Stone of Destiny tells the story of some nationalistic students who decided in 1950 to take the Stone back to Scotland. My family enjoyed it. Just wanted to mention it to you in case you hadn't heard of it!

* A Time article from 1951 about the Stone of Destiny.
* Side-note: There's also a Stone of Destiny, the CD, unaffiliated with the movie.