According to reports, a set of gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in 1587 has been stolen along with coronation cups worth more than £1m during a raid on Arundel Castle. Although the rosary is of little intrinsic value as metal, as an heirloom of the Howard family and an item of national heritage it is of unparalleled historical value.
What Happened: The artifacts were stolen from the West Sussex castle on Friday night. The castle had only reopened to the public on Tuesday and the staff was alerted to the break-in at 22:30 BST on Friday after a burglar alarm went off. According to Sussex Police, the thieves entered through a window and smashed a glass cabinet to grab the items. The stolen coronation cups also have significant monetary value and as unique artifacts in Duke of Norfolk’s collection, have an even greater and immeasurable historical value.
The Response: Many have mourned the loss of the historical items which a symbol of national heritage in England.
' Mary Queen Of Scots ' " WE PRAY FOR THE RETURN OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS ,#GoldRosaryBeads ". LOVE ' The Empress ' XXX
— 'The Empress' (@theempresstkc) May 24, 2021
Arundel Castle: Mary Queen of Scots beads stolen. What an absolute tragedy. #historyindoors https://t.co/mUostwgTO7
— Julie Miller (@millerswife67) May 24, 2021
Someone stole the rosary Mary Queen Of Scots carried to her execution… Wtf?? You can't just steal historical pieces, especially with this much significance.
— lala⁷₁₃ sad songs in a hotel room (@JIM1NSF1LTER) May 24, 2021