The audacious crimes of Colonel Blood : the spy who stole the crown jewels & became the King's secret agent
Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London on 9 May 1671, escaping with St Edward's crown and the coronation regalia hidden in the breeches of his accomplices. When he was arrested, he happily acknowledged that the outrage 'was a gallant attempt that failed...but it was for a crown'. But Blood was not just a daring thief attempting one of the greatest crimes in English history: he had already been involved in an abo...