The silver gilt spoon is the only surviving piece of the original medieval crown jewels, first recorded to have been used at Westminster Abbey in 1349, when the bubonic plague known as the Black Death was spreading across the country. It may not look like much compared to the jewel-encrusted treasure on display elsewhere, but this spoon is the oldest and one of the most sacred items in the whole ceremony. Royal Trust Collection / His Majesty King Charles III 2023 Coronation spoon The coronation spoon has two indentations, suggesting it was made for the archbishop to dip two fingers into holy oil to anoint the sovereign.
The name Stone of Scone comes not from the baked treat but from Scone Palace - the historic crowning place of Scottish kings just outside Perth in central Scotland. It has iron rings attached to either end, but historians don’t agree on why. It is composed of pinkish sandstone and has a cross roughly marked into it. The stone itself is surrounded by mystery. In 1996, Prime Minister John Major moved it permanently from Westminster to Edinburgh Castle, where it still resides until it’s used for coronations. It appeared three months later on the altar of Arbroath Abbey in western Scotland, before it was put back under the coronation chair in 1952. It stood for centuries in Westminster Abbey, until four Scottish students stole it on Christmas Day 1950, prompting a huge manhunt. The somewhat unremarkable-looking 336-pound stone has ever since been used to crown monarchs of England and later Britain.
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