Search for 30 missing fragments from ancient Stone of Destiny after Westminster Abbey heist
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The exact location of most of these small chips remains a mystery. A search is underway for more than 30 fragments of the ancient Stone of Destiny after they separated from the ancient artefact following its famous theft from Westminster Abbey and secret repair.
![[A letter of authentication for the fragment of the Stone of Destiny that was gifted to Alex Salmond]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/16/13/44/01JHQ4Y7G04S9DCGDS38VFAR8W.jpeg)
The exact location of most of these small chips remains a mystery as they have been passed down through families or are in private collections. Professor Sally Foster has been painstakingly collating the history of as many of the pieces as possible, some of which were “hidden in plain sight”, saying they form a fascinating new strand in the centuries-old history of the Stone of Scone.
![[A fragment of the Stone of Destiny that was gifted to Alex Salmond and was kept at the SNP's headquarters]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/16/13/28/01JHQ4VBCXSTNQGCVZ1Z1W221Y.jpeg)
Many of the fragments in question came about when a mason secretly repaired the stone after it split in two during the raid by four students in 1950. This work happened under the supervision of stonemason and nationalist politician Bertie Gray, who carefully numbered and recorded the pieces.
He passed them on to the four students who carried out the heist – as well as those he admired in and around the movement. While the existence of fragments from the sandstone block returned in 1951 have been known – an inch-sized piece was gifted to Alex Salmond by Sir Neil MacCormick and was kept at SNP headquarters – it has not been widely appreciated that there are potentially more than 30 in existence.
Prof Foster believes Mr Gray’s repair work resulted in as many as 34 numbered fragments of the original stone. The Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia – the body of senior officials charged with overseeing the Scottish crown jewels – are currently considering what should happen with the fragment gifted to Mr Salmond.
