Audacious English Crown Jewels Burglary (Video)

In the summer of 1303, while King Edward I of England was campaigning in Scotland, news arrived of a major theft: tens of thousands of pounds worth of silver and gold had been stolen from the royal treasury. This theft took place in the Pix chamber at Westminster Abbey, considered one of the most secure rooms in England at the time. The chamber, originally part of a Benedictine monastery, had been walled off and repurposed as a treasury in the 13th century, housing significant royal regalia and precious items.

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King Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks, had been focused on military campaigns in Scotland, leaving the governance of Westminster in the hands of less reliable officials. This absence led to a decline in security and oversight. John Cich, the Keeper of the Castle at Westminster, and his assistant William, were noted for their negligence and disreputable behavior.