Scotland’s King James III’s tombstone has been vandalised.
Popular on LondonNet
The monument for the 15th century king, who was laid to rest at Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling in his native country, was smashed on Sunday (10.08.08).
The tombstone, which has a blue Tournai marble cover and is a rare surviving example of a Scottish medieval royal tomb, was being kept at the bell tower when it was attacked.
Richard Welander, Historic Scotland head of collections, said: “We regret that vandalism has caused further damage to the already fragmentary remains of the blue marble stone which was once the cover for the tomb of King James III.
“Earlier this year one of the pieces had been cracked and, following an incident last Sunday, it has now been broken in two.
“The stone, which used to be in the nave of the ruined abbey church has been kept on the ground floor of the bell tower for many years in order to keep it as safe as possible while still allowing visitors to see an interesting and significant piece of Scottish history.”
This is the third time the abbey has been vandalised this year, and police have appealed for information about this latest incident.
Sergeant Joyce Greenhorn, of Central Scotland Police, said: “The stone which was damaged is of historical value as it was the original tombstone of King James III. It was kept in the tower of the abbey.
“This is a site of historic interest and I urge the public to come forward with any information they may have.”
James III was born in 1451. He came to the throne in 1460, after his father was killed. James later died in unexplained circumstances in 1488, after fleeing from the Battle of Sauchieburn.
