« Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 - July 2, 1961) | Main | Born Outlaws: The Americans. »
July 03, 2011
The Stone of Scone.
Apud Monasterium de Scone positus est lapis pergrandis in ecclesia Dei, juxta manum altare, concavus quidam ad modum rotundae cathedreaie confectus, in quo future reges loco quasi coronatis.
--14th century English cleric Walter Hemingford
An oblong block of red sandstone known as The Stone of Scone (or Scottish coronation stone) was already ancient and storied when Edward I "captured it" in 1296 as a spoils of war and took it to Westminster Abbey. There it was fitted into a wooden chair, known as King Edward's Chair. Most subsequent English sovereigns have been crowned on it.
The combative and opinionated Edward, who spent much of his reign taming and subjugating the Scots, and hated them, once referred to the Stone as a "turd".
Seven hundred years after Edward lifted the Stone from the Scots, on July 3, 1996, the British House of Commons finally ordered that the Stone would be returned. It was handed over to Scotland in November of that year at the England-Scotland border and taken to Edinburgh Castle. It will remain in Scotland except for future coronations at Westminster Abbey in London.
Posted by JD Hull at July 3, 2011 01:33 AM
Comments
"much of his reign taming and subjugating the Scots, and hated them"
Look pal, nae body tames a Scot!
Hence why in june 1314 Edwards son with a army of between 2-3 times the size of scottish army got their arse handed to them. Glasgow style (admittedly Glasgow was not yet founded)!
If I hear anymore of this kissing up to Westminster, we'll be having back that Navy we invented for your lads too!
Posted by: Duncan King at July 7, 2011 08:50 AM
Yeah, Duncan. I think "tame" was the wrong word. Point taken. Menacing and harassing are both better words.
Posted by: Hull at July 10, 2011 06:28 PM