Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland’s rosary and over $ 1.4 million in jewelry stolen from UK castle

British police are on the lookout for thieves who they broke into a castle in the south of England and took away precious jewels and “irreplaceable” historical artefacts as gold and silver articles valued in excess of £ 1million, which is equivalent to over $ 1.4 million.

The theft occurred around 10:30 p.m. local time last Friday when the burglar alarms were activated to notify authorities. Among the articles of “of great historical importance “, forcibly removed from the windows, there was a Gold rosary worn by Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland when she was executed in 1587 by order of her English cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

According to the police, the rosary constitutes an “irreplaceable” part of the national heritage. Along with this, the coronation cups of the former ruler of Scotland were also worn.

“The stolen objects have significant monetary value, but as unique artefacts in the Duke of Norfolk’s collection, they are of immensely greater and inestimable historical significance,” a spokesperson for the Arundel Castle trustees said in the statement.

“We therefore urge anyone with information to report to the police to help them bring these treasures back to where they belong.” added.

Police are investigating an abandoned vehicle found on fire in a nearby town shortly after the theft.

Police Detective Molly O’Malley of the Chichester Criminal Investigation Department called the public to report if she had seen any suspicious activity around the castle on Friday evening.

“The castle reopened to visitors on Tuesday, May 18, so if you were visiting the past few days, do you remember if anyone behaved suspiciously?” O’Malley said in a public statement.

Arundel Castle was built in the late 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel, according to the castle’s website.

It was badly damaged in two sieges during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century and no repairs were made until around 1718.

Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917), completed a comprehensive restoration project in 1900, installing electric lighting and central heating.

Since last week, it has received visitors again, after being closed to the public for a long time due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus. Thanks to advances in vaccination, the UK has once again made it possible for old tourist attractions to welcome visitors again.

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