An ancient and controversial block of stone has made the journey from Edinburgh Castle to London for the coronation of King Charles III.
The stone arrived in London on Saturday, having been carried from Scotland in a special carrier made from Scottish oak.
Charles became King as soon as the Queen died on September 8 and was officially proclaimed King by the Accession Council on September 10.
But he needs a ceremonial coronation ceremony to be fully crowned as King.
And a stone that was held captive in England for nearly 700 years will help make it happen.
What is the Stone of Destiny?
The Stone of Destiny, or the Stone of Scone, is an oblong block of sandstone a mere 66 centimetres high.
A cross is carved into one surface, and iron rings at each end help with transport.
Its earliest origins are unknown, but it has a rich history spanning at least 1,200 years.
It was first used to crown a Scottish king in 840 AD, when Kenneth McAlpin used it in his coronation in the village of Scone. Since then, about 60 kings and queens have sat upon it during their coronations.
It is the world's oldest artefact still used to make monarchs, and represents the ancient roots of the kingdom of Scotland.
For centuries, it was associated with the crowning of Scottish kings, including Macbeth, later immortalised by William Shakespeare.
But that changed in 1296, when Edward I, the "Hammer of the Scots", seized it from Scone Abbey during a war north of the border and had it taken back to England.
He had the stone built into a special throne called the Coronation Chair.
It was a blunt message to the Scots, depriving them of the stone which had been used to crown generations of their monarchs. From now, on English kings and queens would sit on the stone and claim the right to rule Scotland as well.
Where is the stone usually kept?
The Stone of Destiny is typically displayed within the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle.
But it has travelled far since it was first brought to Scone.
Edward I had the stone installed in Westminster Abbey in London, where it stayed for nearly 700 years, until Christmas Day, 1950.
That was when four Scottish students "liberated" the stone from the abbey.
The last of the former students involved in the heist, Ian Hamilton, died on October 3, 2022.
He was 97.
According to the BBC, the group snuck into the abbey at about 4am.
Mr Hamilton said a piece of the stone broke off as they began to drag it, and he picked it up and ran with it as if it was a rugby ball.
The group temporarily buried the blocks before driving them to Scotland where they were given to the Scottish Covenant Association and put back together.
After a few months, the association decided the stone should be taken back to London.
In 1996, the stone was officially returned to Scotland amid much pomp and ceremony at Edinburgh Castle.
Why is it needed in London?
The stone will be used for King Charles III's coronation, as per tradition.
It was last used in 1953, after it was brought back from Arbroath, for the coronation of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
In November 2020, Scotland's then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to relocate the stone to a new permanent home in Perth, central Scotland.
The stone is only to leave Scotland for a coronation in Westminster Abbey.
What will happen at the King's coronation?
The King will sit upon the stone, within the Royal Throne, during the coronation.
The coronation will be held on Saturday.
