Arundel Castle In England Raided By Thieves, Artifacts And Gold Worth 1 Million Pounds

Kastil Arundel, Inggris. (Wikimedia Commons/Miles Sabin)

JAKARTA - Arundel Castle in West Sussex, England was broken into by thieves. The total loss was more than £1 million.

According to The Guardian on Monday, May 24, a set of precious gold rosary beads belonging to Mary Queen of Scots who were executed in 1587 were among the stolen historic treasures.

Other items taken in the castle robbery worn by the Duke of Norfolk and his remains over the past 850 years include a coronation trophy given by Mary Queen of Scots to the Earl Marshal, as well as a number of gold and silver items. The artifacts were taken from a display cabinet in a part of the castle that was open to the public.

The burglary allegedly took place at 10.30pm Friday last week, after an alarm went off and police were sent to the scene. A car found burnt out and abandoned nearby was allegedly involved in the burglary.

"Police are searching for a thief who broke into Arundel Castle and stole more than £1 million worth of gold and silver items," a spokesman for Sussex, England police said.

"Various items have been stolen with great historical value. These include the gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in 1587, several coronation trophies given by the ruler to the Then Earl Marshal, as well as other gold and silver treasures," the spokesman said.

A closet containing stolen historic treasures. (Arundel Castle /PA)

The rosary has small intrinsic values such as metal, police continued, but is irreplaceable as part of the nation's heritage.

A spokesman for Arundel castle said the stolen items had significant monetary value. But as a unique artifact from the Duke of Norfolk's collection, it has a much greater and priceless historical importance.

"We therefore urge anyone with information to report to police to help them return the property to where it came from," the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, members of the British Parliament from the British Conservative Party, representing the Arundel and South Down regions, lamented the theft.

"The whole nation is saddened this morning. The theft of irreplaceable artifacts that connect us with our shared history is a crime against all of us," he told Reuters.