Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England’s Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.

Thomas Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England is one of the most audacious heists in British history, taking place on May 9, 1671. Colonel Thomas Blood, an Irish adventurer with a controversial past, hatched a bold plan to steal the jewels from the Tower of London.

Blood disguised himself as a parson and, with the help of accomplices who posed as his wife and other characters, befriended the Jewel Housekeeper, Talbot Edwards, under the pretense of procuring a viewing of the Crown Jewels for his supposed wife. Over a period of visits to gain the trust of Edwards, Blood eventually arranged a private showing of the Jewels for what he claimed were his relatives.

On the day of the crime, Blood and his accomplices knocked out Edwards, who had taken them into the Jewel House to see the regalia. They then smashed the crown, flattened it with a mallet, and stuffed it into a bag. Blood also attempted to saw the scepter in half to make it easier to transport, and one of his accomplices concealed the orb.

However, the thieves were interrupted and captured as they attempted to flee the Tower. Astonishingly, Blood was not executed for his audacious crime. Instead, he was brought before King Charles II, to whom Blood reportedly made a bold and witty appeal. Intrigued by Blood’s audacity and possibly amused by his demeanor, Charles II pardoned him and even granted him land in Ireland.

This extraordinary leniency shown to Blood remains a topic of historical debate and curiosity, highlighting both the daring of the theft attempt and the enigmatic decision of the king’s mercy.