The Irish Crown Jewels Vanish

  • July 6, 1907

The Jewels Belonging to the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, commonly called the Irish Crown Jewels or State Jewels of Ireland, were the heavily jewelled star and badge regalia created in 1831 for the Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of St Patrick, an order of knighthood established in 1783 by George III as King of Ireland to be an Irish equivalent of the English Order of the Garter and the Scottish Order of the Thistle.

The British monarch was the Sovereign of the order, as monarch of Ireland until 1801 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland thereafter.

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the Grand Master in the absence of the Sovereign.

The insignia were worn by the Sovereign at the investiture of new knights as members of the order, and by the Grand Master on other formal ceremonial occasions.

1907 Stolen From Dublin Castle

They were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907, along with the collars of five knights of the order.

The theft has never been solved, and the items have never been recovered.