Gladio Free Europe

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England has a new king, and the realm has come down with a terrible case of coronation fever. You may have seen the ridiculous merchandise, the extravagant robes, or the swords and other odd utensils used in the ceremony, but you asking yourself — what does this all mean?

Well, Liam and Russian Sam sat through the coronation of Charles III so you don't have to. This week's episode of Gladio Free Europe is a run-down of the various aspects of this solemn ritual, which as it turns out is much less ancient than you might expect. Listen to find out what Penny Mordaunt's Sword of Mercy has to do with the Halo games, why Charles chose to be crowned in his mother's clothes, and how a rickety graffiti-covered chair became Britain's most sacred throne. We end the episode with a brief history of the Stone of Scone, sometimes known as the Stone of Destiny. Stolen from Scotland in the 13th century by Edward I, this rock seemed doomed to remain in England forever before a plucky group of young Scottish patriots busted it out of Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1950.

Apologies for the audio trouble on this one. We can only assume this is our punishment for besmirching the divine right of kings.