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Robberies: Pereira

Notwithstanding the strong endeavours to save the culprits, they were sentenced to the pillory and ten years' hard labour. In the "Greville Memoirs" we have a notice (Jan. 20th, 1850) of the robbery, at Brussels, of the Princess of Orange's jewels:--"There is reason to believe that Pereira, the prince's friend, had some concern in it; many people suspect that both he and the prince were concerned. The princess was in the country, and only one maid-servant in the house where such valuable property was left. The jewels were in a case, and the key of the case was in a cabinet, which was opened, the key taken, and the large case or chest opened by it. Small footsteps (like those of Pereira, who had very small feet) were traced in the house, or near it, and the day of the robbery the porter was taken by Pereira's servant to his house, and there made drunk. The robbery was discovered on Friday morning, but no steps were taken to inform the police until Sunday night."

On the death of Queen Charlotte (Nov. 16th, 1818) there were strong suspicions that a robbery of the royal jewels had been effected. The queen left an enormous quantity of precious stones, the diamonds alone having been valued at nearly a million. After wearing them on public occasions, her Majesty invariably consigned them to the care of the court jewellers, Rundell and Bridges, but the "George" and the diamond-hilted sword worn by the king were placed in a cabinet at Windsor Castle. This was examined after the queen's death by the regent, but the contents were missing. Inquiries were made, but fruitlessly. It was surmised, however, that George III. had put them away, especially as the queen had, on one occasion, missed from her room a gold ewer and basin of exquisite workmanship, enriched with gems. They were missed previous to the last mental indisposition of the king, who professed that he knew nothing whatever about them, but greatly feared they had been stolen by a confidential servant. Many months after his malady set in, the ewer and basin were discovered behind some books in his study, to which the king alone had access. It is supposed that, having concealed them by excess of caution, he totally forgot the circumstance through growing infirmity of intellect. In a few days it was announced that "all now missing of the late king's jewels are his Star and Garter, valued at seven thousand pounds." How the diamond-hilted sword was discovered is not stated; the Garter appears to have been lost.