COLOURED PLATES The King’s State Crown Frontispiece The Queen’s State Crown 41 The King’s Orb 47 The King’s Royal Sceptre 86 The Jewel House in Queen Elizabeth’s 16 Reign (double page) The Jewel House in 1815 19 The Jewel House in 1920 22 The Imperial Indian Crown 38 The Diadem of Mary of Modena 40 The King’s Sceptre before and after the 43 Introduction of the Star of Africa The Jewelled State Sword 83 The Keeper of the Jewel House in his 109 State Robes Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex 116 The Black Prince with the famous Ruby 144 The Duke of Wellington at the first 158 cutting of the Koh-i-Nur Diamond Portrait of Colonel Blood 174 Colonel Blood stealing the Crown 181 Facsimile of a Page from Sir Gilbert 232 Talbot’s MSS. Facsimile of a Page from Sir Gilbert 233 Talbot’s MSS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE JEWEL HOUSE CHAPTER I THE JEWEL HOUSE When kings began to reign—The Crown of the King of the Ammonites—A Crown weighing 125 lbs.—The Treasure House of Kings—Egbert the first King of England—His regalia—King Alfred’s Crown—Edward the Confessor’s Crown and Staff and Ring—The Crown Jewels first placed in Westminster Abbey—Henry III removes them to the Tower of London—The Jewel Chamber in the White Tower—The Jewel House in the reign of Queen Elizabeth—The Martin Tower turned into the Jewel House by Charles II—The word “Bolleyn” on the wall—Northumberland and Heriot prisoners there—A slender guard and the result—Colonel Blood fails in his attempt on the Crown—Northumberland’s ghost—Narrow escape from fire of the Jewel House—Removal of Crown Jewels to the Wakefield Tower—Its former history—Origin of name—The murder of Henry VI in this tower—The young Princes buried in the basement—The lesson from St. Patrick’s Jewels—King Edward VII makes the Jewels secure—The tantalized burglar—The German lady and the Kaiser’s hopes—The Jewels in the Great War—Their narrow escapes—Their removal till the end of the War—Return to the Tower—Their wonderful adventures as recorded.