Historians, including unofficial but highly regarded royal biographers Sally Bedell Smith and Hugo Vickers, have expressed ...

In 1671 a former Civil War soldier and his gang conned their way into stealing the British Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. It became the first and only time anyone has attempted to steal them.

This was a disaster. It left the country vulnerable to attack from claimants battling for the prized English Crown. The new king would need to be chosen by the Witan, the King's councillors ...