More than £ 1 million in historical treasures were stolen from Arundel Castle, days after it was reopened to the public. A set of “irreplaceable” gold rosary beads that Mary Queen of Scots wore after her execution in 1587 included one taken from West Sussex Castle.
Other items stolen during the raid on Friday include coronation cups Mary gave to the digging marshal. A spokesman for Arundel Castle said the items were of inestimable historical interest.
The castle was only reopened to the public on Tuesday.
‘Unique artefacts’
Staff were alerted to the burglary at 22:30 BST on Friday after a thief alarm went off. Police appeared at the scene within minutes, a Sussex Police spokesperson stated.
The spokesman stated: ‘Several articles have been stolen of great historical interest.
‘It includes the golden rosary beads worn by Mary Queen of Scots during her execution in 1587, several coronation cups that the sovereign gave to the digging marshal of the day, and other gold and silver treasures.
‘The rosary is of little intrinsic value as metal, but as part of the Howard family history and the heritage of the country, it is irreplaceable.
“The items were forcibly taken from a display case along the public route.”
Police are investigating a 4×4 saloon abandoned and set on fire in nearby Barlavington to determine if it was related to the burglary.
A spokesman for Arundel Castle Trustees said: ‘The stolen items have significant monetary value, but as unique works of art from the collection of the Duke of Norfolk, the historical significance is of immeasurable value and invaluable value.
“We, therefore, urge anyone with information to reach out to the police to help them return these treasures where they belong.”
Det Con Molly O’Malley of Chichester CID encouraged people who were in Arundel on Friday night and saw suspicious activity in the vicinity of the castle to contact the force online or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Deuce.
“The castle was only reopened to visitors on Tuesday, May 18. If you’ve been visiting for the past few days, do you remember anyone acting suspiciously?” he said.
“If you are offered or heard of the stolen items, we also want to hear from you.”
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