Historical treasures worth more than a million dollars have been looted in a raid at Arundel Castle in England. The burglary took place within days of reopening.
Police say that an abandoned 4x4 car which was discovered on fire soon after the theft may have been linked to the raidImage: Eurasia Press/Photononstop/picture alliance
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A set of gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in 1587 was among artifacts worth more than £1 million (€1.16 million, $1.4 million) stolen in a raid on Arundel Castle in the south of England.
Several coronation cups given by Mary to the Earl of Marshal and gold and silver artifacts were among the items taken from a display cabinet at the castle.
Staff were alerted to the break-in at the West Sussex castle on Friday evening after a burglar alarm went off. Police arrived within minutes.
"Various items have been stolen of great historical significance," the police said in a statement.
Police are examining an abandoned 4x4 car that was found on fire soon after the break-in.
Andrew Griffith, the member of parliament representing the area where the castle is located, said: "The whole nation joins our sadness this morning. The theft of these irreplaceable artifacts connecting us to our shared history is a crime against us all."
There is a long list of directors who have tried their hand at telling the story of Mary, Queen of Scots. It's a classic tale that hasn't lost its appeal.
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"Mary, Queen of Scots"
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan plays the lead role in Josie Rourke's 2018 "Mary, Queen of Scots," the saga's most recent version. Scotland's queen is a strong woman who knows what she wants. Beau Willimon, who also wrote for the immensely popular US series "House of Cards," wrote the script.
Image: Imago/ZUMA Press/New Line Cinemax
Special effects in 1895
A huge leap in time takes us back to the year 1895 and the short film "The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots," regarded as the first historical film in cinema history. The film, directed by Alfred Clark and produced by Thomas Alva Edison, was the first to use a stop trick special effect when the actor was replaced with a mannequin in the execution scene.
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1936: Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn also played Mary Stuart. The Oscar-winning actress chosen by the American Film Institute as the "greatest 20th-century American film actress" starred as the 16th-century ruler in the 1936 film "Mary of Scotland," directed by John Ford.
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1940: Zarah Leander
Just four years later, Zarah Leander played the queen in the German production "Mary Stuart – Heart of a Queen." Leander was completely miscast in the role of Mary, writes the Dictionary of International Film, "adding unintentional comedy to tackiness." It's a film from the Nazi period with the intention of showing the history of "British Imperialism," the dictionary argues.
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1971: Vanessa Redgrave
In 1971, Vanessa Redgrave starred as the Scottish queen in Charles Jarrott's "Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots." The film was nominated for five Oscars, including best actress, but did not receive any. The "New York Times" film critic at the time must have been delighted: he felt the film was "an exceptionally loveless, passionless costume drama."
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TV series about a young queen
The US TV series "Reign" (2013-2017) focused on the life of the young Mary Stuart and her years at the French Court. The future queen was brought to France as a child for an education alongside her future husband, Francis II of France. Widowed at the age of 17, she returned to Scotland in 1561.
Image: CBS Television Studios
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Who was Mary Queen of Scots?
Mary Stuart, a Roman Catholic, was briefly queen of France. She joined her Protestant cousin Elizabeth I of England in 1568 after aristocrats pushed her out of Scotland.
Elizabeth was wary of her cousin, as many Catholics throughout Europe believed that Mary had a stronger claim to the throne.
Mary was confined in various English castles and prisons, convicted of plotting against the queen, condemned to death for treason on charges she denied, then beheaded at the order of her own cousin.
