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19 November 2025
The Theft That Shook the Empire
On Christmas Eve morning in 1950, four Scottish students achieved the impossible: they stole the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey. For centuries, English, and later British, monarchs sat on it during coronations, a gesture symbolising Scotland’s subjugation to England.
Ian Hamilton and his companions simply wanted to return the valuable artefact to their homeland. But during the operation, the stone fell to the floor and broke. This break marks the axis of an incredible story—a humble piece of rock that could be the subject of an epic film saga.
A Mysterious Relic from Scotland’s Ancient History
The Stone of Scone, also called the Stone of Destiny, rested for centuries at Scone Abbey, 50 km north of Edinburgh. Traditionally, it served as the coronation stone for the Kings of Scots; the future monarch sat upon it during the ceremony.
The symbol of Scottish monarchy vanished from Scone in 1296 when King Edward I of England took it as a trophy of war. The Stone was then embedded in the coronation chair of English rulers at Westminster Abbey. This was a clear symbol of the subordination of the Scottish nation to the English.
The Daring Theft and Destruction of the Artefact
The theft carried out by Hamilton’s group was an act of resistance against the British monarchy. The stone’s crack spoiled the thieves’ plans, but Robert Gray, a Scottish sculptor and politician with strong nationalist views, came to their aid.
Gray bonded the two parts with special bolts. Later, the stone returned to Westminster, and the politician’s involvement was revealed. Rumours circulated that Gray had made a copy of the stone and that the copy returned to London, while the original remained hidden. In this way, the politician sought to protect an artefact so important to Scotland’s ancient history.
Unravelling the mystery of the Stone of Destiny: Where Are the Fragments?
Regardless of whether the original Stone of Destiny returned to Westminster, one thing is certain—during the repair, Gray collected the chips from the precious rock and kept them for himself. This is how the story of the Scots’ national relics, whose fate scattered them across the world, began.
Professor Sally Foster from the University of Stirling traced the stories of the lost fragments in her recent academic work. According to the researcher, there are over 34 fragments, although historians are not certain about the fate of every single one.
Romantic Gifts and Political Provocations
Gray meticulously cared for the collected pieces: he numbered them, issued certificates of authenticity, and sent letters. Some went to the conspirators who stole the stone—Hamilton received a fragment set in a silver brooch, which he gave to his fiancée.
Another Scottish independence activist, Kay Matheson, wore her piece in a locket around her neck. Politician Winnie Ewing eagerly posed for photos with her fragment, provocatively stating that she “would like to be arrested for possessing stolen property.” A fragment also went to Catherine Milne in Australia—it is now housed at the Queensland Museum.
The Fate of Some Fragments Remains Unknown
In 2008, one of the chips reached Alex Salmond, then First Minister of Scotland. For years, he kept it at the Scottish National Party headquarters—on a shelf, in a plastic container. When the matter came to light in 2025, the opposition mocked the level of treatment afforded to the national artefact.
The analysis of old letters, photographs, and documents allowed Foster to locate 17 of the 34 fragments. The rest? They are likely still in private collections, family boxes, or perhaps even buried with their owners, like the fragment belonging to Tam Smith. This Scottish patriot was one of the people who helped conceal the stone after the theft. The fragment Robert Gray gave him was buried with Smith in the Bannockburn cemetery.
Scotland’s Ancient History Sealed in Stone
Meanwhile, the original stone, now repaired, was left by the thieves at Arbroath Abbey in Scotland. The police found it there, and the artefact returned to Westminster. Finally, in 1996, the British government agreed to officially return the rock to the Scots, 700 years after its seizure by Edward I.
For two decades, the Stone of Destiny rested at Edinburgh Castle. In December 2020, it was moved to the Museum in Perth, the city where Scone Abbey is located. This is the very same abbey where Scottish rulers were once crowned upon the stone. In 2023, the artefact made one final, short journey to London so that King Charles III could sit on it during his coronation. It returned to Perth less than a month later.
Read this article in Polish: Zagadka Kamienia Przeznaczenia rozwiązana? Badaczka ujawnia nowe fakty
