Editing Stone of Scone (section)

===Early 20th century===
The possibility that the Coronation Chair could be damaged or destroyed by German air raids during the [[Second World War]] resulted in it being moved to [[Gloucester Cathedral]] for the duration of the war. Concerns about the propaganda implications of the Stone falling into German hands led to it being hidden behind ancient lead coffins in a burial vault under Abbot Islip's Chapel, situated off the north [[ambulatory]] of the abbey.<ref name="Shenton">{{Cite book |last=Shenton |first=Caroline |title=National Treasures: Saving the Nation's Art in World War II |publisher=John Murray |year=2021 |isbn=978-1529387438 |location=London |pages=203–204 |type=Hardback}}</ref> Other than the Dean, [[Paul de Labilliere]] and the [[Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey]], [[Charles Reed Peers|Charles Peers]], only a few other people knew of its hiding place. Worried that the secret could be lost if all of them were killed during the war, Peers drew up three maps showing its location. Two were sent in sealed envelopes to Canada, one to the Canadian Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|William King]], who deposited it in the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa. The other went to the [[Lieutenant Governor of Ontario]], who stored his envelope in the Bank of Montreal in Toronto. Once he had received word that the envelopes had been received, Peers destroyed the third map, which he had been keeping at his bank.<ref name="Shenton" />

Peers later received a suggestion via the Office of Works that the Stone should be sent to Scotland for safekeeping:
<blockquote>I trust the Office of Works will not lend itself to this attempt by the Scotch to get hold of the Stone by a side wind. You cannot be so simple as not to know that this acquisitive nation have ever since the time of Edward I been attempting by fair means or foul, to get possession of the Stone, and during my time at Westminster we have received warnings from the Police that Scottish emissaries were loose in London, intending to steal the Stone and we had better lock up the Confessor's Chapel, where it is normally kept.<ref name="Shenton" /></blockquote>