LONDON — The thieves broke into an imposing castle in the English countryside and took a rare bounty: rosary beads that once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, along with other gold and silver artifacts that the authorities said were worth over $1.4 million. The theft came just days after historical sites in England were allowed to reopen after months of lockdown, and the police are asking visitors who might have witnessed suspicious behavior before the crime last Friday at Arundel Castle, about 60 miles southwest of London, to come forward. Apart from their material value, the items stolen had “immeasurably greater and priceless historical importance,” a spokesman for the castle’s trustees said in a statement. “We therefore urge anyone with information to come forward to the police to assist them in returning these treasures back where they belong.”The castle and its grounds, a near thousand-year-old site that is the principal home of the Duke of Norfolk, had reopened to visitors only on Tuesday. The police said in a briefing on Sunday that the thieves had taken the items from a display cabinet along a route used by visitors, and were investigating whether an abandoned car on fire found in a nearby village shortly after the burglary was related to the crime.

Source: New York Times May 24, 2021 15:00 UTC