The Jewel House: An Account of the Many Romances Connected with the Royal Regalia: Together with Sir Gilbert Talbot's Account of Colonel Blood's Plot

In Short

This book serves as a guided tour of the British Crown Jewels, blending technical descriptions of the regalia with the turbulent history of the Tower of London. Written by a former Keeper of the Jewel House, the work documents the evolution of the royal crowns, sceptres, and orbs, while recounting the legendary, often violent attempts to plunder them. It endures as a fascinating window into the intersection of high ceremony and practical security, capturing the transition from an age of royal pageantry to the modern era of scientific protection.

The Story

The narrative begins with the physical fortification of the Tower of London, where the Regalia are housed behind steel bars and guarded by military sentries. The early chapters establish the historical significance of the various crowns, rings, and ecclesiastical plate, noting how these items have been repaired, replaced, or reconstructed throughout the centuries—particularly following the destructive interregnum of the Commonwealth, when much of the original royal treasure was lost or melted down.

The focus then shifts to the men entrusted with these treasures: the Keepers of the Jewel House. Their lives, often marked by court intrigue and financial struggles, provide a human dimension to the administrative history of the Tower. The account reveals the perquisites once attached to the office, such as the lucrative, if ethically dubious, power to appoint royal jewellers, and the constant friction between court officials over living quarters and official duties.

Central to the book’s drama is the notorious plot by Colonel Blood in the 17th century. The author provides a detailed, vivid account of how Blood and his accomplices infiltrated the Tower, subdued the custodian, and attempted to carry off the crown, orb, and sceptre. The bungled nature of this heist—where the thieves were caught before they could make off with their spoils, yet succeeded in battering the crown beyond immediate repair—serves as the definitive example of the risks inherent in guarding such priceless items.

The narrative extends beyond the Tower to the global journeys of famous gems, most notably the Koh-i-Nur diamond. The author traces the stone's lineage through Mogul emperors, Persian invaders, and eventually to the British Crown, highlighting the violence and diplomatic maneuvering that accompanied its transfer of ownership. This exploration of the "romance of great gems" contrasts the permanence of diamonds and rubies with the more ephemeral nature of pearls, while touching on the evolution of various chivalric orders and military decorations like the Victoria Cross.

Ultimately, the book concludes with a reflection on the modern state of the Jewel House. It documents the transition to advanced, mechanical security measures—a response to both the threat of international instability and the persistence of common criminals—and underscores the irony that the very items designed to represent absolute power must be kept under constant, vigilant guard by the state.

How It Unfolds

The sanctuary of the Tower The author introduces the formidable physical defenses of the Wakefield Tower, emphasizing the shift from simple sentries to modern, high-tech security. He illustrates the necessity of this vigilance by noting the constant, covetous attention of visitors, including those who would hope to see the jewels fall into foreign hands.

The lineage of the Regalia A detailed inventory of the crowns and rings follows, tracing their specific designs and historical origins. The author highlights the poignant stories behind these pieces, such as the agony caused by a ring made too small for a young Queen Victoria and the ancient origins of the coronation spoon.

The shadow of Colonel Blood The account reaches its climax with the detailed retelling of Colonel Blood's daring and disastrous attempt to steal the crown. The narrative captures the precise moment the heist failed, revealing how the desperate thieves treated the regalia as common metal, leaving a trail of battered gold and lost stones in their wake.

The global journey of gems The scope widens to include the bloody, intricate history of the Koh-i-Nur diamond. The author tracks its passage from hand to hand among Eastern potentates, emphasizing the diplomatic and romantic intrigues that dictated the diamond's movement long before it reached London.

The keeper’s burden The final sections detail the administrative history of the Jewel House, listing the rights and privileges of those who served as Keepers. By documenting the shift from personal perks to state-regulated oversight, the author provides a grounded conclusion on the nature of royal service.

The People

The figures in this account are defined by their relationship to the crown—either as its protectors or its covetous pursuers. Colonel Blood stands out as the quintessential antagonist, a man whose audacity in attempting to steal the Regalia reveals the vulnerability of the Tower’s defenses. His failure is met by the resilience of Mr. Edwards, the custodian who survives the assault only to see his charge damaged by the very people he sought to keep at bay. Sir Gilbert Talbot, the Keeper who provided the original manuscript of the theft, emerges as a figure of historical endurance, detailing his long years of service to the Crown and the financial sacrifices that defined his life. Throughout the text, sovereigns like James II and Queen Mary of Modena appear not as distant figures, but as active participants in the physical creation and maintenance of the jewels, often struggling with the heavy financial burdens of replacing lost or stolen pieces.

In Its Own Voice

"It has been a source of some amusement to the warders to watch known burglars—for admission to view the Crown Jewels is open to all His Majesty’s subjects, not excluding burglars—with their faces flattened against the bars thinking, thinking, thinking, how possibly they could get hold of these priceless gems."

The author highlights the irony of allowing the very people most likely to commit theft to view the security measures protecting the Crown Jewels.

"The pearl is really only a sort of disease, or perhaps to put it more mildly a distemper, or milder still a pastime, on the part of the pearl oyster."

While discussing the relative value and lifespan of various gems, the author provides a blunt, biological assessment of how pearls are formed.

What It's Really About

The book is a meditation on the paradoxical nature of power and property. It asks what it means for a nation to own objects of such immense value, and whether that ownership is defined by the history of the objects themselves or the strength of the walls that protect them. There is an underlying tension between the sacred, symbolic nature of the Regalia and the mundane, often gritty reality of maintaining them. The author argues that the value of these items is not merely in their carats or gold, but in their capacity to link the contemporary state to a long, violent, and often chaotic past.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in institutional history, the intricacies of the British monarchy, or the evolution of security will find this book deeply rewarding. The writing is precise and warm, reflecting the perspective of a man who viewed the Tower not just as a museum, but as a living office. It captures the atmosphere of the early 20th century, with its reverence for tradition and its pride in the stability of the British Empire.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the book's period-specific attitudes; the author writes with the unquestioned confidence of a high-ranking military official in the post-Victorian era, and his casual treatment of colonial expansion and foreign figures reflects the prejudices of his time. The text can be lengthy in its technical descriptions of rings and collars, and the inclusion of original manuscripts in their archaic spelling and syntax requires a bit of patience. Despite these hurdles, the book remains a uniquely intimate look at the Tower of London. It leaves the reader with a vivid sense of the weight of the crown—literally, in the heavy gold of St. Edward’s, and figuratively, in the relentless vigilance required to keep the symbols of a nation from being lost to time or theft.