Colonel Blood and the Crown Jewels Heist

For the aspiring criminal mastermind, few objects hold greater allure than the British Crown Jewels. The intrinsic and symbolic value make the jewels a great prize. The world-class security guarding the relics guarantees that anyone who can snatch the jewels would be remembered forever.

Despite countless fictional accounts in literature, movies, and television, the Crown Jewels remain out of the reach of every villain who has tried to steal them.

Every villain, that is, except one. There was one whose audacity knew no bounds and whose story reads like something straight out of a swashbuckling adventure novel. We speak of none other than Colonel Thomas Blood — the only man to successfully steal the Crown Jewels.

From Civil War Soldier to Fugitive

Thomas Blood was born in County Meath, Ireland, in 1618. He did not seem destined for a life of notoriety, but fate steered him resolutely toward infamy. Fast forward to the English Civil War. Blood, ever the opportunist, initially fought for Charles I but saw the writing on the wall and switched his allegiance to Oliver Cromwell just in time to finish the war on the winning side.

Blood was rewarded for his somewhat tardy allegiance when Cromwell granted him a fancy title, a hefty estate, and possibly a hearty pat on the back. His good fortune evaporated before his eyes, however, when Charles II reclaimed the throne. No longer in favor with the powers that be, Blood fled to Ireland. He lost no time getting involved in a shady plot to seize Dublin Castle and take the governor captive. Once again, Blood found himself on the wrong side of a conflict, and he had to flee to Holland, now with a price on his head.

Back in England with a Bold Plan

Despite being one of the most wanted men in England, the year 1670 found Blood once again in England, posing as a physician and taking the name Ayloffe. He managed to hide his true identity, but he had no plans to keep a low profile. He had his eyes on a prize that would guarantee that his name would live on for centuries: the Crown Jewels.

The Crown Jewels, collectively, refer to a number of invaluable items that belong to the Crown. Although there are several crowns and other relics included today in the Crown Jewels collection, Blood set his sights on three grand prizes: St. Edward’s Crown, the Sovereign’s Orb, and the Sovereign’s Sceptre.

The Treasure He Targeted

St. Edward’s Crown was made for Charles II in 1661. It is 22-carat gold, 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall, weighs 2.23 kilograms (4.9 lb), and is decorated with 444 precious and fine gemstones. The Sovereign’s Orb, representing the monarch’s power and God’s granting of that power to the monarch, is a round hollow sphere of gold adorned with a cross. Included within the design are over 600 precious stones and pearls, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, amethysts, and sapphires. The Sovereign’s Sceptre represents the monarch’s authority over worldly affairs.

Breaking into the Tower

Snagging the Crown Jewels is a fair bit more complicated than shoplifting a candy bar from the grocery store. On and off since the 1200s and continually since the 1660s, the jewels have been housed in the Tower of London. The Tower has served many roles for nearly 1,000 years. It has been a residence, fortress, and prison. Its imposing appearance and fortress structure make it the perfect place to store the most valuable items in the kingdom.

Blood knew it would take more than brute force to carry out his plan. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Blood figured the way into the Tower of London was through a woman’s heart. He created a new identity as a Parson and befriended Talbot Edwards. Talbot was not only one of the principal guards at the Tower but he and his family resided there, living just one floor above the Jewels. After establishing this friendship, Blood assumed the role of matchmaker and facilitated a romance between Talbot’s daughter and one of Blood’s “nephews.”

The Day of the Heist

Suffice it to say that the nephew wasn’t really Blood’s nephew. He was an accomplice who played the part. With the skills of a master manipulator, Blood worked behind the scenes to earn the Edwards family’s trust and leading them to believe that he was about to become part of their family through marriage between his “nephew” and the daughter.

May 9, 1671, was the day Blood’s scheming came together. Early that morning, Blood showed up at the Tower with his “nephew” and two other men. With the family distracted by the romantic meeting of the young couple, Blood asked Talbot to give his friends a little peek at the Crown Jewels.

Things Go Wrong

No sooner did Talbot unlock the door to the room where the Jewels were kept than Blood jumped him, knocked him out with a mallet, and stabbed him with a sword. With Talbot’s silence assured, the thieves set to work grabbing the royal items and preparing for their getaway. They flattened the massive crown with the mallet and stuffed it into a bag. The sceptre was way too long, so they tried sawing it in half. As for the orb, Blood hid it away by stuffing it into his pants.

It was while attempting to cut through the sceptre that Talbot showed himself to be a heartier soul than anyone expected. He chose that moment to revive and started yelling, “Murder! Treason!”

Dropping the sceptre, Blood and his associates tried to make a run for it. Despite their best efforts, they were captured and taken into custody. Refusing to answer any questions, Blood brashly proclaimed he would speak to no one but the King himself.

The Audience with the King

Blood knew that the King had a reputation for liking bold scoundrels and reckoned that his considerable Irish charm would save his neck as it had done several times before in his life.

Blood was taken to the Palace where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, The Duke of York, and other members of the royal family. King Charles was amused at Blood’s audacity when Blood told him that the Crown Jewels were not worth the £100,000 they were valued at, but only £6,000!

The King asked Blood “What if I should give you your life?” and Blood replied humbly, “I would endeavor to deserve it, Sire!”

A Pardon and a Final Chapter

Blood was not only pardoned, to the disgust of Lord Ormonde, but was given Irish lands worth £500 a year! Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court.

Edwards who recovered from his wounds, was rewarded by the King and lived to a ripe old age, recounting his part in the story of the theft of the Jewels to all the visitors to the Tower.

In 1679 Blood’s phenomenal luck ran out. He quarrelled with his former patron the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham demanded £10,000 for some insulting remarks Blood had made about his character. As Blood became ill in 1680 the Duke never got paid, as Blood died on August 24th of that year at the age of 62.

The Crown Jewels have never been stolen since that day – as no other thief has tried to match the audacity of Colonel Blood!

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