Coronation Chair

The above Chair contains Jacob's pillar stone (Pillow) on which the Kings of Israel were crowned upon in Biblical days. Likewise the Kings of Ireland, Scotland and England have been crowned upon the stone for more than 2,500 years, which is still the custom today.

This very same stone was used by Jacob as a pillow-Genesis 28:11 And he alighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. To the human mind a stone is of little or no consequence, of less value we would suppose even of iron or clay. But this stone speaks of Christ and His Kingdom.

"English, Scotch and Irish records of the "Stone of Destiny" locate it at Tara, Ireland in circa 500 B.C., from where it was transported to Scotland in circa A.D. 498 by Fergus the Great. From there it was taken to Iona circa A.D. 563; then to Bunstaffnage from where it was removed to Scone, near Perth, Scotland. Finally it was moved, by Edward I, to Westminster Abbey, London in A.D.1296 and was inserted beneath the Coronation Chair, Thus, from Tara to Westminster, covering over 1800 years of history".

"The Stone, weighing over 300 pounds, is rectangular being about 26" in length; 16" in width; and, 10.5" in depth. Across its surface runs a crack and some chisel-marks are still visible on one or two sides. An interesting feature of the "Coronation Stone" is that it bears at either end two stout iron rings which is very much worn as though the stone had been carried about a great deal, slung between poles. That being so, when was the stone subjected to such wear? Certainly not while it has been at Westminster, nor during the time in Scotland, nor before that when it was in Ireland. It has certainly not been carried about much for the last 2,500 years. Surely it must have been carried about in or before Jeremiah's day. It must have been carried about by the children of Israel in their wanderings. This being so, if it was Jacob's pillar stone this will explain its significance.

The Stone of Destiny remained in Westminster Abbey until 1996 A.D., where it had laid cradled in the lower portion of the St. Edward's Chair (the British Coronation Chair) where it had rested for nearly 800 years. Today, it is in Scottish possession by decree of the Queen with the stipulation that it will be returned for the Coronation ceremony of the next Monarch. The "Stone of Destiny" was returned to Scotland on the 15 November 1996 and was installed in Edinburgh Castle on St Andrews Day, 30 November 1996.

It's a well-known fact that as London was being bombed by German Luftwaffe during World War II, contingency safety plans were written up to protect the Stone. Only until the 1950's was it revealed that the then Prime Minister of Canada was the only person outside a group numbering no more than 10 men, caretakers of the Relics at Westminster Abbey who knew where the Stone was hid on the Abbey grounds. NO similar plans had been made to secret away the Crown Jewels.