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MonarchyThe thief of the British throne stone is dead
Ian Hamilton had stolen and brought back to Scotland this block of sandstone of 152 kilos which has been used for centuries to crown sovereigns in London.
In December 1950 it was stolen by four Scottish students.
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Ian Hamilton was one of the thieves, he was never caught.
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Lawyer Ian Hamilton, a hero of Scottish nationalism after he stole and brought back to Scotland the “Stone of Destiny” used for centuries for coronations in London, died on Tuesday at the age of 97.
The ‘Stone of Destiny’, or ‘Stone of Scone’, was first used to crown Scottish kings before King Edward I of England seized it in 1296 and brought it back as spoils of war to Westminster Abbey in London, where it will remain for over 650 years.
This 152 kilo block of sandstone is then integrated into the “coronation chair” on which the British monarchs sit during their coronation. But on Christmas Eve 1950, Ian Hamilton takes the lead of a small group of Scottish students and steals the stone to bring it back to Scotland, becoming at the same time a hero of Scottish nationalism.
“I am extremely sad to learn of the death of Ian Hamilton,” Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted. “He was an exceptional lawyer and a legend of the independence movement.” “He will be remembered for his role in bringing back the Stone of Destiny and as an inspiration to the independence movement,” said Scottish independence party SNP.
Elizabeth II was crowned on it
The stone would eventually return to London and be used for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. But in 1996, amid rising independence sentiment, it was finally returned to Scotland and is now kept at Edinburgh Castle.
However, it is agreed that she will return to Westminster for the coronations and should thus return to the British capital for the coronation of Charles III expected next year.
Broken in two
The journey for Ian Hamilton and his friends had not been without incident: the stone had broken in two as they were carrying it to put it in their car. The small group had also had to avoid the checkpoints on the Scottish border, set up after the discovery of the theft in London.
The four students, hailed as national heroes, will never be prosecuted. Their adventure will even be the subject of a film, “The Stone of Destiny”.
“What is marvelous with stone is that it transcends politics,” said Ian Hamilton in 2008, who wrote a book about his epic. “Whatever our political leanings, Scots know there is something that binds us together.”
(AFP/MP)