The crowns were made for the burial of King Karl IX and his wife Kristina, date back to the early 1600s and have an estimated value of over $7 million. The suspects fled the scene on women’s bicycles and a motorboat in something akin to a cinematic drama.
“It is gratifying that the royal collection in Strangnas Cathedral appears to have been found”, the Church of Sweden tweeted. “Thank you to everyone who worked on returning these cultural treasures”.
Glädjande att kungaregalierna i Strängnäs domkyrka tycks ha återfunnits. Tack till alla som arbetat med att återbörda dessa kulturskatter. #strängnäs pic.twitter.com/VlPORIYOud
— Svenska kyrkan (@svenskakyrkan) 5 февраля 2019 г.
A man, whose blood was found at the scene of the crime, is currently on trial. However, the hearing was interrupted after the prosecutor confirmed in court that the missing jewels may have been found.
The 22-year-old suspect has admitted to stealing both a bicycle and a boat that was used as the thieves’ getaway vehicles but denies any involvement in the theft itself. So far, he remains the only suspect who has been identified and charged, however, he has refused to answer questions about other potential suspects. The trial will resume on 15 February.
Previously, experts voiced their fears that the stolen jewels could have been smelted for the sake of gold and thus completely destroyed.
The crowns were made for the burial of King Karl IX and his wife Kristina and date back to the early 1600s. A royal orb was stolen alongside the burial regalia, and the gold jewels are decorated with silver and pearls. The total value of the trophy was estimated at about SEK 65 million ($7 million).
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