Last updated: 24 November 2025
Thomas Blood didn’t appear to be a thief. He looked more like a clergyman, and that was his intention. On a spring morning in 1671, Blood entered the Tower of London dressed in black robes, quoting scripture and asking to see the Crown Jewels. He left with a flattened crown tucked under his coat, a broken sceptre in hand, and a royal pardon waiting for him.
The heist was audacious, and the outcome was weird. Blood not only escaped execution, but he also received a generous pension from the king.
A Career Built on Betrayal
Thomas Blood was born in Ireland in 1618, the son of a respectable blacksmith. He was trained in metalwork and later joined the Royalist army during England’s civil war. When the monarchy collapsed, he switched sides and fought for Oliver Cromwell.
After the Restoration in 1660, when Blood lost his lands and his standing, he became bitter and dangerous.
He tried to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde in 1663, dragging him from his coach and nearly hanging him in Hyde Park. The duke escaped. Blood vanished.
In 1670, he planned to seize Dublin Castle with a group of rebels, but that plot collapsed before it even began. By 1671, Blood had become a wanted man with nothing left to lose and aimed even higher.
The Crown Jewels: Symbols of Power
The Crown Jewels weren’t just valuable; they were sacred. After Charles I was executed in 1649, Parliament ordered the destruction of the medieval regalia. They were melted down or sold off, and most pieces vanished from history. Only the 12th-century Coronation Spoon survived the Cromwell era.
Following the abolition of the monarchy, trustees were appointed to assess the value of the Crown Jewels of England. Oliver Cromwell described these items as “symbols of the detestable rule of kings” and “monuments of superstition and idolatry.” Coronation and state regalia, including Henry VIII’s Crown — the most valuable item in the collection — had its stones removed and was melted down to be cast into gold coins. Additional items were either sold or gifted to dignitaries, effectively erasing centuries of ceremonial history in just a matter of months.
When Charles II returned from exile, he commissioned an entirely new set for his coronation in 1661. These included:
- St Edward’s Crown, a solid gold circlet weighing nearly five pounds
- The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, symbol of royal authority
- The Sovereign’s Orb, representing Christian dominion over the world
The new regalia were crafted from 22-carat gold and based on surviving records of the original items. They weren’t merely decorative; they were designed to evoke continuity with a vanished past and reassert divine right after years of republican rule. These replicas formed the core of the Crown Jewels of England, which later became the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The regalia were housed in the Martin Tower of the Tower of London, guarded by Talbot Edwards, a 77-year-old veteran who lived on-site with his family. Visitors could view the jewels for a fee. One of them was Thomas Blood. He saw an opportunity.
The Tower of London Heist
Blood visited the Tower several times, posing as a parson. He befriended Edwards, praised the jewels, and proposed a marriage between Edwards’ daughter and his fictitious nephew.
On May 9, he returned with three accomplices. Edwards welcomed them in. Once inside, they struck him with a mallet, gagged him, and began their work.
They flattened the crown with a hammer to hide it under their clothes. Blood sawed the sceptre in half. The orb went into a bag.
They made their way to the Iron Gate. Edwards, bloodied yet conscious, raised the alarm. “Murder! Treason!” he shouted.
Guards caught the thieves just steps from freedom.
A Royal Pardon Instead of Punishment
Blood refused to speak to anyone except the king, and Charles II agreed to meet with him. The meeting was unusual. Blood admitted that he had once plotted to kill Charles, but he claimed to have changed his mind out of admiration for the king. He flattered Charles, joked about the jewels, asserting that they were grossly overvalued, and showed no remorse for his past actions.
Charles laughed and decided to pardon him.
As a result, Blood was granted land in Ireland and a pension of £500 a year. He became a regular presence at court. The man who had attempted to steal the Crown Jewels was now dining with nobles and walking free.
Why Did Charles II Spare Blood?
Historians still debate Charles’ motives. Some say he admired Blood’s audacity. Others believe Blood had political value — he was familiar with the networks of dissent and rebellion. A third theory is simpler: Charles enjoyed the spectacle.
Some contemporaries speculated that the pardon was a calculated move to distract from deeper unrest. The Restoration was still fragile, and Charles may have seen value in turning a rogue into a courtier. Blood’s transformation from traitor to tolerated eccentric became a kind of political theatre, an emblem of royal magnanimity, or perhaps a warning cloaked in charm.
Whatever the reason for the pardon, it sent a message: In Charles’ England, charm could be more powerful than justice.
Legacy of the Crown Jewels Heist
Talbot Edwards survived the attack but never fully recovered. He received a modest pension, far less than Blood’s.
The Crown Jewels were repaired, but he sceptre still bears the scars of Blood’s saw. Today, they’re kept behind bulletproof glass, under heavy guard.
Over time, the collection has grown to include some of the world’s most extraordinary gemstones. Cullinan I and Cullinan II — the two largest polished diamonds ever discovered — were added in the early 20th century. Cullinan I is set into the Sovereign’s Sceptre, while Cullinan II rests in the Imperial State Crown. Though these additions came centuries after Blood’s heist, they underscore the enduring allure and evolving symbolism of the regalia he once tried to steal.
Thomas Blood died in 1680. His body was exhumed to confirm the death. His reputation was so notorious that officials feared a ruse.
He remains a paradox: a traitor turned courtier, a thief turned celebrity. His story is a reminder that in the theatre of monarchy, sometimes the villain gets the applause.
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References:
[1] Wikipedia. Thomas Blood. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
[2] Historic UK. The Theft of the Crown Jewels. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.
[3] Royal Collection Trust. The Regalia of Charles II. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.
[4] Historia Mag. Thomas Blood and the Theft of the Crown Jewels. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.
[5] World History Encyclopedia. Colonel Blood & the Theft of the Crown Jewels. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.
[6] History.com. The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.
[7] Royal Collection Trust. The Cullinan Diamond. Retrieved: 2025-08-20.