![]() ![]() Two stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond - the largest rough diamond ever found - will feature prominently in the coronation, fuelling controversy the royal family would rather avoid.įor many in South Africa, where the original stone was found in 1905, the gems are a symbol of colonial oppression under British rule and they should be returned.Ĭullinan I, a huge drop-shaped stone weighing 530.2 carats, is mounted in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. The 26.7-centimetrE (10.5-inch) spoon is believed to have been made during the 12th Century for either King Henry II or King Richard I, and may have originally been used for mixing water and wine, according to the Royal Collection Trust. While the monarch is no longer considered divine, the ceremony confirms his status as supreme governor of the Church of England. The ceremony has roots in the biblical story of the anointing of King Solomon and was originally designed to confirm that the sovereign was appointed directly by God. The spoon is central to the most sacred part of the coronation ceremony, when the Archbishop of Canterbury will pour holy oil from an eagle-shaped ampulla, or flask, into the spoon and then rub it on the king's hands, breast and head. After King Charles I was executed in 1649, the rest of the collection was either melted down or sold off as Parliament sought to abolish the monarchy forever. The gold-plated silver Coronation Spoon is the only piece of the coronation regalia that survived the English Civil War. In recent days, the stone was temporarily removed from its current home at Edinburgh Castle in a ceremony overseen by Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, then transported to the abbey, where a special service was held to mark its return. In 1996, Prime Minister John Major returned the stone to Scotland, with the understanding that it would come back to England for use in future coronations. Before that time, it was used as the coronation stone for Irish kings. Fergus Mor MacEirc, the founder of Scotland's royal line, reputedly brought the stone with him when he moved his seat from Ireland to Scotland around 498, Westminster Abbey said. The stone's history goes back much further, however. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800."Įdward I had the chair built specifically to enclose the Stone of Scone, known by Scots as the Stone of Destiny, after he forcibly took the artifact from Scotland and moved it to the abbey in the late 13th Century. The gold has long since worn away and the chair is now pocked with graffiti, including one message that reads "P. The 2.05-metre (6 feet 9 inches) tall chair is made of oak and was originally covered in gold leaf and coloured glass. ![]()
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