Gone Medieval Scotland's Stone of Scone
Nov 21, 2025
Professor Dauvit Broun, an expert on medieval Scotland, dives into the intriguing history of the Stone of Scone, a symbol of Scottish royalty. He shares the daring 1950 heist by Glasgow students that returned the stone to Scotland and discusses its ancient origins, linking it to legends of kingship. Broun also examines how Edward I’s seizure reshaped Scotland's political landscape and emphasizes that the stone's true significance lies not in its physical form but in the powerful narratives that define Scotland's identity.
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1950 Student Heist Of The Stone
- Four University of Glasgow students broke into Westminster Abbey on Christmas 1950 and removed the Stone of Scone.
- They split the fractured block and smuggled it back to Scotland, where it was later left at Arbroath Abbey.
Plain Object, Powerful Symbol
- The Stone looks plain and battered and was usually hidden beneath silk and cloth during ceremonies.
- Its symbolic value comes from how people told stories about it, not from its visual grandeur.
Stone As Substitute For Coronation
- Alexander III's 1249 inauguration used the Stone to symbolically confer kingship without papal anointment.
- The ceremony borrowed biblical and noble rituals to authenticate the king's status.
