How a failed thief who tried to steal the Crown Jewels became a royal favorite.
In short: Thomas Blood, an Anglo-Irish army officer, nearly succeeded in stealing England's Crown Jewels in 1671. After his capture, he avoided execution by charming King Charles II. Instead of facing the gallows, he was granted a royal pension and became a fixture at court, leaving behind a legacy of audacity.
Born in 1618, Thomas Blood was an Anglo-Irish officer who fought for both Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. Following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, Blood suffered financial ruin due to land settlement policies. This shift in fortune turned him into a conspirator, leading him to attempt the kidnapping of the Duke of Ormond and, eventually, a daring heist at the Tower of London.
In May 1671, Blood infiltrated the Tower by befriending the elderly custodian of the jewels, Talbot Edwards. During a visit, Blood and his accomplices subdued Edwards, flattened the Imperial State Crown with a mallet, and attempted to flee with the regalia. They were intercepted by guards before they could escape the Tower grounds. Despite the gravity of his crimes, Blood refused to speak to anyone but the King, leading to a private audience that altered his fate.
The King's decision to pardon Blood remains a historical puzzle. Some suggest Charles II was amused by Blood’s audacity or feared a retaliatory uprising from his followers. Others propose the King was flattered by Blood’s claim that he had previously spared the monarch's life out of awe. Regardless of the motive, Blood was granted land in Ireland worth £500 annually, while the injured custodian received a smaller, partially unpaid reward.
Blood spent his final years as a court advocate before dying in 1680. His reputation for trickery was so pervasive that authorities exhumed his body to ensure he had not faked his own death to escape a massive lawsuit brought by the Duke of Buckingham. His life remains a subject of fascination, inspiring numerous literary and cinematic portrayals that emphasize his role as an audacious, if unsuccessful, rogue.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Thomas Blood
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