The Theft of England’s Crown Jewels
England’s Crown Jewels were kept in a basement in the Tower of London, beneath the floor of the Keeper of the Jewels’ apartment. The jewels could be viewed by the public, upon payment of a fee to their custodian. Thomas Blood disguised himself as a parson, went to see the jewels with a female companion whom he presented as his wife, and befriended the Keeper. Over the next few days, Blood ingratiated himself with the jewels’ custodian and his wife, whom he won over with gifts of fine gloves.
He won the couple over even further when he played matchmaker, and proposed a marriage between a fictitious wealthy nephew, and the Keeper’s spinster daughter. The custodian of the jewels was eager to finally marry off his daughter, so he invited Blood and his nephew to dinner. Accordingly, on May 9th, 1671, Blood arrived for dinner with criminal accomplices whom he presented as his “nephew” and two “relatives”. While they waited for dinner to get served, Blood convinced the custodian to show his nephew and relatives the jewels. Eager to impress his prospective son-in-law, the Keeper unlocked the door to the basement.
