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1 lmperlal SLaLe Crown
2 Mary of Modenas uladem
3 1he SLaLe Crown of Mary of Modena
4 Cne of Lhe four Swords borne before Lhe monarch
3 Sword of Mercy
6 1he Soverelgns ScepLre
7 ScepLre wlLh Lhe uove
8 Soverelgns 8lng
9 klng Ldwards Chalr (Lhe CoronaLlon chalr)
10
11 Ln1he Cueen consorLs ScepLre wlLh Lhe uove
12
13 Cne of Lhe four Swords borne before Lhe monarch
14 CueenConsorLs 8lng
13 SL Ldwards Crown
16 Soverelgns Crb

1he Crown !ewels have been kepL aL Lhe 1ower of London slnce 1303 afLer Lhey were sLolen from
WesLmlnsLer Abbey lL ls LhoughL LhaL mosL lf noL all were recovered shorLly afLerwards AfLer Lhe
coronaLlon of Charles ll Lhey were locked away and shown for a vlewlng fee pald Lo a cusLodlan
Powever Lhls arrangemenL ended when Colonel 1homas 8lood aLLempLed Lo sLeal Lhe Crown !ewels
afLer havlng bound and gagged Lhe cusLodlan 1hereafLer Lhe Crown !ewels were kepL ln a parL of
Lhe 1ower known as !ewel Pouse where armed guards defend Lhem
Cne of Lhe mosL audaclous rogues ln hlsLory was Colonel 8lood known as Lhe Man who sLole Lhe
Crown !ewels

1homas 8lood was an lrlshman born ln CounLy MeaLh ln 1618 Lhe son of a prosperous blacksmlLh
Pe came from a good famlly hls grandfaLher who llved ln kllnaboy CasLle was a Member of
arllamenL

1he Lngllsh Clvll War broke ouL ln 1642 and 8lood came Lo Lngland Lo flghL for Charles l buL when lL
became apparenL LhaL Cromwell was golng Lo wln he prompLly changed sldes and [olned Lhe
8oundheads

When Charles l was defeaLed ln 1633 8lood was made a !usLlce of Lhe eace and was granLed a large
esLaLe buL when Charles ll reLurned Lo Lhe Lhrone ln 1660 8lood fled Lo lreland wlLh hls wlfe and son

ln lreland he [olned a ploL wlLh Lhe dlsgrunLled Cromwelllans and aLLempLed Lo selze uublln CasLle
and Lake Lhe Covernor Lord Crmonde prlsoner 1hls ploL falled and he had Lo flee Lo Polland now
wlLh a prlce on hls head ln splLe of belng one of Lhe mosL wanLed men ln Lngland 8lood reLurned ln
1670 Laklng Lhe name Ayloffe and pracLlsed as a docLor ln 8omford!

AfLer anoLher boLched aLLempL Lo kldnap Lord Crmonde ln 1670 where 8lood narrowly escaped
capLure 8lood declded on a bold scheme Lo sLeal Lhe Crown !ewels

1he Crown !ewels were kepL aL Lhe 1ower of London ln a basemenL proLecLed by a large meLal grllle
1he keeper of Lhe !ewels was 1alboL Ldwards who llved wlLh hls famlly on Lhe floor above Lhe
basemenL

Cne day ln 1671 8lood dlsgulsed as a parson wenL Lo see Lhe Crown !ewels and became frlendly
wlLh Ldwards reLurnlng aL a laLer daLe wlLh hls wlfe As Lhe vlslLors were leavlng Mrs 8lood had a
vlolenL sLomachache and was Laken Lo Ldwards aparLmenL Lo resL 1he graLeful arson 8lood
reLurned a few days laLer wlLh 4 palrs of whlLe gloves for Mrs Ldwards ln appreclaLlon of her
klndness Lo hls wlfe

1he Ldwards famlly and arson 8lood became close frlends and meL frequenLly Ldwards had a
preLLy daughLer and was dellghLed when arson 8lood proposed a meeLlng beLween hls wealLhy
nephew and Ldwards daughLer

Cn 9Lh May 1671 arson 8lood arrlved aL 7am wlLh hls nephew and Lwo oLher men Whlle Lhe
nephew was geLLlng Lo know Ldwards daughLer Lhe oLhers ln Lhe parLy expressed a deslre Lo see
Lhe Crown !ewels

Ldwards led Lhe way downsLalrs and unlocked Lhe door Lo Lhe room where Lhey were kepL AL LhaL
momenL 8lood knocked hlm unconsclous wlLh a malleL and sLabbed hlm wlLh a sword

1he grllle was removed from ln fronL of Lhe [ewels and Lhe crown orb and scepLre were Laken ouL
1he crown was flaLLened wlLh Lhe malleL and sLuffed lnLo a bag and Lhe orb sLuffed down 8loods
breeches 1he scepLre was Loo long Lo go lnLo Lhe bag so 8loods broLherlnlaw PunL Lrled Lo saw lL
ln half!

AL LhaL polnL Ldwards regalned consclousness and began Lo shouL Murder 1reason! 8lood and hls
accompllces dropped Lhe scepLre and aLLempLed Lo geL away buL 8lood was arresLed as he Lrled Lo
leave Lhe 1ower by Lhe lronCaLe afLer unsuccessfully Lrylng Lo shooL one of Lhe guards

ln cusLody 8lood refused Lo answer quesLlons lnsLead repeaLlng sLubbornly lll answer Lo none buL
Lhe klng hlmself

8lood knew LhaL Lhe klng had a repuLaLlon for llklng bold scoundrels and reckoned LhaL hls
conslderable lrlsh charm would save hls neck as lL had done several Llmes before ln hls llfe

8lood was Laken Lo Lhe alace where he was quesLloned by klng Charles rlnce 8uperL 1he uuke of
?ork and oLher members of Lhe royal famlly klng Charles was amused aL 8loods audaclLy when
8lood Lold hlm LhaL Lhe Crown !ewels were noL worLh Lhe 100000 Lhey were valued aL buL only
6000!

1he klng asked 8lood WhaL lf l should glve you your llfe? and 8lood replled humbly l would
endeavour Lo deserve lL Slre!

8lood was noL only pardoned Lo Lhe dlsgusL of Lord Crmonde buL was glven lrlsh lands worLh 300 a
year! 8lood became a famlllar flgure around London and made frequenL appearances aL CourL

Ldwards who recovered from hls wounds was rewarded by Lhe klng and llved Lo a rlpe old age
recounLlng hls parL ln Lhe sLory of Lhe LhefL of Lhe !ewels Lo all Lhe vlslLors Lo Lhe 1ower

ln 1679 8loods phenomenal luck ran ouL Pe quarrelled wlLh hls former paLron Lhe uuke of
8ucklngham 8ucklngham demanded 10000 for some lnsulLlng remarks 8lood had made abouL hls
characLer As 8lood became lll ln 1680 Lhe uuke never goL pald as 8lood dled on AugusL 24Lh of LhaL
year aL Lhe age of 62

1he Crown !ewels have never been sLolen slnce LhaL day as no oLher Lhlef has Lrled Lo maLch Lhe
audaclLy of Colonel 8lood!