73-1022: The Jewels of the Order of St Patrick , commonly called the Irish Crown Jewels , were the heavily jewelled badge and star created in 1831 for the Grand Master of the Order of St Patrick , an order of knighthood established in 1783 by George III to be an Irish equivalent of the English Order of the Garter and the Scottish Order of the Thistle . The office of Grand Master was held by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland . The jewels were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907, along with
146-520: A Viceregal Commission under Judge James Johnston Shaw into the theft held from 10 January 1908. Vicars argued for a public Royal Commission instead, which would have had power to subpoena witnesses . He publicly accused his second in command, Francis (Frank) Shackleton, Dublin Herald of Arms, of the theft. Kane explicitly denied to the Commission that Shackleton, brother of the explorer Ernest Shackleton ,
219-476: A function to mark St Patrick's Day . They were last known to be in the safe on 11 June, when Vicars showed them to a visitor to his office. The jewels were discovered to be missing on 6 July 1907, four days before the start of a visit by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to the Irish International Exhibition ; Lord Castletown was set to be invested into the order during the visit. The theft
292-598: A means of rewarding (or obtaining) political support in the Irish Parliament . The Order of the Bath , founded in 1725, was instituted for similar reasons. The statutes of the Order restricted membership to men who were both knights and gentlemen , the latter being defined as having three generations of "noblesse" (meaning ancestors bearing coats of arms) on both their father's and mother's side. In practice, however, only Irish peers and British princes were ever appointed to
365-522: A member during his Grand Mastership, he was permitted to retain the insignia after his term of office. The Order originally consisted of fifteen knights in addition to the Sovereign. In 1821, however, George IV appointed six additional knights; he did not issue a Royal Warrant authorising the change until 1830. William IV formally changed the statutes in 1833, increasing the limit to twenty-two knights. The original statutes, based heavily on those of
438-592: A period of political transition. He travelled extensively throughout the country and is described as having "transformed the role of Governor General from that of the aristocrat representing the King or Queen in Canada to a symbol representing the interests of all citizens". He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1895. He was again appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1905, and served until 1915. During his tenure he also served as Rector of
511-602: A revision of the order's structure. They were delivered from London to Dublin on 15 March by the Earl of Erroll in a mahogany box together with a document titled "A Description of the Jewels of the Order of St. Patrick, made by command of His Majesty King William the Fourth, for the use of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and which are Crown Jewels." They contained 394 precious stones taken from
584-457: Is patron of the order; its motto is Quis separabit? , Latin for "Who will separate [us]?": an allusion to the Vulgate translation of Romans 8 :35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Most British orders of chivalry cover the entire United Kingdom , but the three most exalted ones each pertain to one constituent country only. The Order of St Patrick, which pertains to Ireland,
657-472: Is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland . The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , The 3rd Earl Temple (later created Marquess of Buckingham ). The regular creation of knights of the Order lasted until 1922, when most of Ireland gained independence as the Irish Free State , a dominion within what was then known as
730-611: Is a misunderstanding, the memorandum having resulted from a communication to Cosgrave from a Dublin jeweller, James Weldon, who had been theoretically offered the jewels by a man fitting the description of Frank Shackleton, but in 1908. In 1965, Vicious Circle: The Case of the Missing Irish Crown Jewels was published. While not ascribing definitive responsibility for the theft, it was the most detailed account to that date. In 2002, another published account, Scandal & Betrayal: Shackleton And The Irish Crown Jewels suggested
803-602: Is reported to have angered the king, but the visit went ahead. However, the investiture ceremony was cancelled. Some family jewels inherited by Vicars and valued at £1,500 (equivalent to £200,000 in 2023) were also stolen, along with the collars of five members of the order: four living (the Marquess of Ormonde and the Earls of Howth , Enniskillen , and Mayo ) and one deceased (the Earl of Cork ). These were valued at £1,050 (equivalent to £140,000 in 2023). A police investigation
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#1732845020478876-655: Is the most junior of these three in precedence and age. Its equivalent in England , the Most Noble Order of the Garter , is the oldest order of chivalry in the British Isles , dating from the mid-fourteenth century. The Scottish equivalent is the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle , dating in its present form from 1687. The order was founded in 1783, a year after the grant of substantial autonomy to Ireland, as
949-571: Is this: The police charged with collecting evidence in connection with the disappearance of the Crown Jewels from Dublin Castle in 1907 collected evidence inseparable from it of criminal debauchery and sodomy being committed in the castle by officials, Army officers, and a couple of nondescripts of such position that their conviction and exposure would have led to an upheaval from which the Chief Secretary shrank. In order to prevent that he suspended
1022-531: The British Commonwealth of Nations . While the Order technically still exists, no knight of St Patrick has been created since 1936, and the last surviving knight, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester , died in 1974. Charles III , however, remains the Sovereign of the Order, and one officer, the Ulster King of Arms (now represented in the office of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms ), also survives. Saint Patrick
1095-683: The British Royal Family or peers , were mostly entitled to supporters in any event.) John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair , KT , KP , GCMG , GCVO , PC (3 August 1847 – 7 March 1934) was a British politician. Born in Edinburgh , Aberdeen held office in several countries, serving twice as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1886; 1905–1915) and serving from 1893 to 1898 as Governor General of Canada . Aberdeen
1168-562: The Church of Ireland , then the established church . After the disestablishment of the Church in 1871, the ecclesiastics were allowed to remain in office until their deaths, when the offices were either abolished or reassigned to lay officials. All offices except that of Registrar and King of Arms are now vacant. The office of Prelate was held by the Archbishop of Armagh , the most senior clergyman in
1241-480: The Church of Ireland . The Prelate was not mentioned in the original statutes, but was created by a warrant shortly afterwards, apparently because the then Archbishop asked to be appointed to the post. Since the death of the last holder in 1885, the office has remained vacant. The Church of Ireland's second highest cleric, the Archbishop of Dublin , originally served as the Chancellor of the Order. From 1886 onwards,
1314-661: The Coldstream Ranch in the northern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and launched the first commercial orchard operations in that region, which gave birth to an industry and settlement colony as other Britons emigrated to the region because of his prestige and bought into the orcharding lifestyle. The ranch is today part of the municipality of Coldstream , and various placenames in the area commemorate him and his family, such as Aberdeen Lake and Haddo Creek. He served as Governor General of Canada from 1893 to 1898 during
1387-477: The English Crown Jewels of Queen Charlotte and the Order of the Bath star of her husband George III. The jewels were assembled by Rundell & Bridge . On the badge, of St Patrick's blue enamel, the green shamrock was of emeralds and the red saltire of rubies ; the motto of the order was in pink diamonds and the encrustation was of Brazilian diamonds of the first water . Notices issued after
1460-712: The House of Commons in August 1907, Pat O'Brien , MP , blamed "loyal and patriotic Unionist criminals". Lord Haddo , the son of the Lord Lieutenant, was alleged by some newspapers to have been involved in the theft; Augustine Birrell , the Chief Secretary for Ireland , stated in the Commons that Haddo had been in Great Britain throughout the time period within which the theft took place. In 1912 and 1913, Laurence Ginnell suggested that
1533-579: The National Portrait Gallery, London , having been donated by Aberdeen's daughter Marjorie in 1953. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers on 14 January 1888 and retained the position with its successors, the 1st Highland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, until after World War I . In 1889 he was chosen as an alderman of the first Middlesex County Council , his address being given as Dollis Hill House , Kilburn , in that county. In 1891, he bought
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#17328450204781606-401: The Order of the Garter , prescribed that any vacancy should be filled by the sovereign upon the nomination of the members. Each knight was to propose nine candidates, of whom three had to have the rank of earl or higher, three the rank of baron or higher, and three the rank of knight or higher, and a vote taken. In practice this system was never used; the grand master would nominate a peer,
1679-669: The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland . The robes of Luke Gerald Dillon, 4th Baron Clonbrock , the 122nd Knight of the Order, are on display in the National Museum of Ireland , Dublin; the robe belonging to Francis Charles Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey is held by the Newry Museum ; the National Gallery of Ireland and Genealogical Museum in Dublin both have Stars of the Order; and
1752-630: The Ulster Museum (part of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland ) in Stranmillis has a large collection on display and two mantles in storage. The Irish Guards take their capstar and motto from the Order. The Chapel of the Order was originally in St Patrick's Cathedral in central Dublin . Each member of the Order, including the sovereign, was allotted a stall in the choir of
1825-490: The collars of five knights of the order. The theft has never been solved, and the items have never been recovered. The original regalia of the Grand Master were only slightly more opulent than the insignia of an ordinary member of the order; the king's 1783 ordinance said they were to be "of the same materials and fashion as those of Our Knights, save only those alterations which befit Our dignity". The regalia were replaced in 1831 by new ones presented by William IV as part of
1898-462: The "discreditable doings" of various high-ranking personages with whom he was acquainted. Hobson repeated the allegations in a formal statement to officials in 1955, and in his autobiography. Officials were aware of the homosexuality of Shackleton, Gorges and Vicars and the claim that the investigation was compromised to avoid a greater scandal, such as the Dublin Castle homosexual scandals of 1884 ,
1971-627: The British Government's suppression of the case, and its hesitancy in prosecuting Shackleton in 1913 over his defrauding of Gower's fortune. It served to strengthen Bulmer Hobson's allegation over the reason for the Government's behaviour in 1908. Folklore within the Genealogical Office of the Republic of Ireland , the successor to the Office of Arms, was that the jewels were never removed from
2044-452: The Castle, and a participant in the debauchery"). Birrell denied any cover-up and urged Ginnell to give to the police any evidence he had relating to the theft or any sexual crime. Walter Vavasour Faber also asked about a cover-up; Edward Legge supported this theory. On 23 November 1912, the London Mail alleged that Vicars had allowed a woman reported to be his mistress to obtain a copy to
2117-582: The Clock Tower, but were merely hidden. In 1983, when the Genealogical Office vacated its structurally unsound premises inside the Clock Tower, Donal Begley, the then- Chief Herald of Ireland supervised the removal of walls and floorboards, in case the jewels were found, but they were not. A 1967 book suggests that the 1908 Sherlock Holmes story " The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans "
2190-472: The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1881 to 1885 (he held the position again in 1915), and was briefly appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1886. He became a Privy Counsellor in the same year. In 1884, he hosted a dinner at Haddo House honouring Gladstone on his tour of Scotland. The occasion was captured by the painter Alfred Edward Emslie ; the painting is now in the collection of
2263-643: The Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick set in silver containing a trefoil in emeralds on a ruby cross surrounded by a sky blue enamelled circle with "Quis Separabit MDCCLXXXIII." in rose diamonds surrounded by a wreath of trefoils in emeralds, the whole enclosed by a circle of large single Brazilian stones of the finest water, surmounted by a crowned harp in diamonds and loop, also in Brazilian stones. Total size of oval 3 by 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 inches; height 5 + 5 ⁄ 8 inches. Value £16,000. (equivalent to £2,140,000 in 2023). When not being worn or cleaned,
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2336-450: The Grand Master with a star and badge, each composed of rubies , emeralds and Brazilian diamonds . These two insignia were designated "Crown Jewels" in the Order's 1905 Statutes, and the designation " Irish Crown Jewels " was emphasised by newspapers when they were stolen in 1907, along with the collars of five Knights; they have not since been recovered. A number of items pertaining to the Order of St Patrick are held in museums in both
2409-723: The International Council of Women from 1893 to 1899 and founded the National Council of Women of Canada and the Victorian Order of Nurses . They had five children: Aberdeen entered the House of Lords following his succession to his brother's earldom in January 1870. A Liberal , he was present for William Ewart Gladstone 's first Midlothian campaign at Lord Rosebery 's house in 1879. He became Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire in 1880, served as Lord High Commissioner to
2482-780: The Order was Queen Victoria, in her capacity as Sovereign of the Order. Although it was associated with the established Church of Ireland until 1871, several Catholics were appointed to the order throughout its history. The Order of St Patrick initially had thirteen officers: the Prelate, the Chancellor, the Registrar, the Usher, the Secretary, the Genealogist, the King of Arms , two heralds and four pursuivants . Many of these offices were held by clergymen of
2555-733: The Order was the James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn in 1922, who served as the first Governor of Northern Ireland . When the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom in December of that same year, the Irish Executive Council under W. T. Cosgrave chose to make no further appointments to the Order. Since then, only three people have been appointed to the Order, all members of the British Royal Family . The then-Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor)
2628-563: The Order. The cross of St Patrick (a red saltire on a white background) was chosen as one of the symbols of the Order. A flag of this design was later incorporated into the Union Flag . Its association with Saint Patrick or with Ireland prior to the foundation of the Order is unclear, however. One of the first knights was the William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster , whose arms carry the same cross. The last non-Royal member appointed to
2701-527: The Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner and crest were taken down and replaced with those of his successor. After the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871, the Chapel ceased to be used; the heraldic devices of the knights at the time were left in place at the request of Queen Victoria. The Order was without a ceremonial home until 1881 when arrangements were made to display banners, helms and hatchment plates (the equivalent of stall plates, in
2774-536: The Sovereign would usually assent, and a chapter meeting was held at which the knights "elected" the new member. The Order of St Patrick differed from its English and Scottish counterparts, the Orders of the Garter and the Thistle , in only ever appointing peers and princes. Women were never admitted to the Order of St Patrick; they were not eligible to become members of the other two orders until 1987. The only woman to be part of
2847-527: The Ulster King of Arms's office within the Dublin Castle complex, was transferred from the Bermingham Tower to the Bedford or Clock Tower. The jewels were transferred to a new safe , which was to be placed in the newly constructed strongroom . The new safe was too large for the doorway to the strongroom, and Sir Arthur Vicars , the Ulster King of Arms, instead had it placed in his library. Seven latch keys to
2920-647: The University of St Andrews (1913–1916), was created a Knight Companion of the Order of the Thistle (1906), and was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1911). Following his retirement, he was created Earl of Haddo , in the County of Aberdeen , and Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair , in the County of Aberdeen, in the County of Meath and in the County of Argyll , in January 1916. Aberdeen lived
2993-544: The absence of stalls) in the Great Hall , officially called St. Patrick's Hall , in Dublin Castle . On the establishment of the Irish Free State , the banners of the living knights were removed. When the Hall was redecorated in 1962 it was decided that it should be hung with the banners of the members of the Order in 1922. The existing banners were repaired or new ones made; it is these banners which can be seen today. The Hall, which
Irish Crown Jewels - Misplaced Pages Continue
3066-454: The awarding of membership of the Order of St Patrick to Irish citizens , but some suggest that the phrase "titles of nobility" implies hereditary peerages and other noble titles, not lifetime honours such as knighthoods . This argument does not address the words "or of honour" however. The last living non-royal recipient, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury , died in 1961. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester , at his death in 1974,
3139-472: The chapel, above which his (or her, in the case of Queen Victoria ) heraldic devices were displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall was a helm, decorated with mantling and topped by his crest. Above the crest, the knight's heraldic banner was hung, emblazoned with his coat of arms . At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall was affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into
3212-431: The culprits were Shackleton and a military officer, Richard Gorges . The two men allegedly obtained access to the safe by plying Vicars with whiskey until he fell unconscious, at which point they removed the key from his pocket. Once the jewels had been extricated, Shackleton transported them to Amsterdam , where he sold them for £20,000. Hobson claimed that the men escaped prosecution due to Shackleton threatening to expose
3285-424: The door of the Office of Arms were held by Vicars and his staff, and two keys to the safe containing the regalia were both in the custody of Vicars. Vicars was known to get drunk on overnight duty and he once awoke to find the jewels around his neck. It is not known whether this was a prank or practice for the actual theft. The regalia were last worn by the Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Aberdeen , on 15 March 1907, at
3358-710: The fourth was held by Athlone Pursuivant , founded in 1552. The Usher of the Order was "the Usher at Arms named the Black Rod". The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in Ireland was distinct from the English officer of the same name , though like his counterpart he had some duties in the Irish House of Lords . The offices of Secretary and Genealogist were originally held by members of the Irish House of Commons . The office of Secretary has been vacant since 1926. The position of Genealogist
3431-406: The insignia of the Grand Master and those of deceased knights were in the custody of the Ulster King of Arms , the senior Irish herald , and kept in a bank vault . The description "Crown Jewels" was officially applied to the star and badge regalia in a 1905 revision of the order's statutes. The label "Irish Crown Jewels" was publicised by newspapers after their theft. In 1903, the Office of Arms,
3504-401: The key to the safe and that she had fled to Paris with the jewels. In July 1913, Vicars sued the paper for libel ; it admitted that the story was completely baseless and that the woman in question did not exist; Vicars was awarded damages of £5,000. Vicars left nothing in his will to his half-brother Pierce O'Mahony, on the grounds that O'Mahony had repudiated a promise to recompense Vicars for
3577-455: The later stages of his life at the House of Cromar in Tarland , Aberdeenshire , which he had built and where he died in 1934. His son, George, succeeded to the marquessate. The House of Cromar passed to Sir Alexander MacRobert in 1934 and it was renamed Alastrean House by his widow . It was leased to the RAF Benevolent Fund in 1984. Jokes Cracked by Lord Aberdeen , a memoir collection of John Hamilton-Gordon's dinner party repartee ,
3650-468: The loss of income caused by his resignation. After Frank Shackleton was imprisoned in 1914 for passing a cheque stolen from a spinster, Earl Winterton asked for the judicial inquiry demanded by Vicars. A 1927 memo of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State , released in the 1970s, stated that W. T. Cosgrave "understands that the Castle jewels are for sale and that they could be got for £2,000 or £3,000." However, it has been suggested that this
3723-429: The members of the Order were required to be knights, and in practice had higher rank, many of the privileges of membership were rendered moot. As knights, they could prefix "Sir" to their forenames, but the form was never used in speech, as they were referred to by their peerage dignities. They were assigned positions in the order of precedence , but had higher positions by virtue of their peerage dignities. Knights used
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#17328450204783796-479: The motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar. They were also entitled to receive heraldic supporters . This high privilege was, and is, only shared by members of the Royal Family, peers, Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, Knights and Ladies of the Thistle, and Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the junior orders. (Of course, Knights of St Patrick, normally all being members of
3869-418: The office was held by the Chief Secretary for Ireland . Since the abolition of the position of Chief Secretary in 1922, the office of Chancellor has remained vacant. The Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral was originally the Registrar of the Order. In 1890, on the death of the Dean who had held the post at the time of disestablishment, the office was attached to that of the King of Arms of the Order. This position
3942-421: The offices of Registrar and King of Arms of the Order of St Patrick. The office of Ulster King of Arms, insofar as it related to the Irish Free State (now officially called Ireland), became the position of Chief Herald of Ireland . The Order had six other heraldic officers, many more than any other British order. The two heralds were known as Cork and Dublin Heralds. Three of the four pursuivants were untitled,
4015-435: The operation of the Criminal Law, and appointed a whitewashing commission with the result for which it was appointed. His speech was curtailed when a quorum of forty MPs was not present in the chamber. He elaborated the following week on the alleged depravity of "two of the characters", namely army captain Richard Gorges ("a reckless bully, a robber, a murderer, a bugger, and a sod") and Shackleton ("One of [Gorges'] chums in
4088-420: The other ministers and civil servants was that it would upset the diplomatic balance between London and Dublin. Taoiseach Seán Lemass considered reviving the Order during the 1960s, but did not take a decision. The British monarch is the Sovereign of the Order of St Patrick. The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , the monarch's representative in Ireland, served as the Grand Master. The office of Lord Lieutenant
4161-460: The other British orders, the stall plates (or hatchment plates) do not form a continuous record of the knights of the order. There are only 34 stall plates for the 80 or so knights appointed before 1871 (although others were destroyed in a fire in 1940) and 40 hatchment plates for the 60 knights appointed subsequently. In the case of the stall plates, this was perhaps due to their size, 30 cm × 36 cm (12 in × 14 in). Since
4234-406: The police investigation had established the identity of the thief, that his report had been suppressed to avoid scandal, and that the jewels were "at present within the reach of the Irish Government awaiting the invention of some plausible method of restoring them without getting entangled in the Criminal Law". In an adjournment debate in 1912 he alleged: The proposition I ask to be allowed to make
4307-400: The post-nominal letters "KP". When an individual was entitled to use multiple post-nominal letters, KP appeared before all others, except "Bt" and "Btss" ( Baronet and Baronetess ), "VC" ( Victoria Cross ), "GC" ( George Cross ), "KG" ( Knight Companion of the Garter ) and "KT" ( Knight of the Thistle ). Knights could encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a blue circle bearing
4380-559: The theft described the jewels thus: A Diamond Star of the Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick composed of brilliants (Brazilian stones) of the purest water , 4 + 5 ⁄ 8 by 4 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches, consisting of eight points, four greater and four lesser, issuing from a centre enclosing a cross of rubies and a trefoil of emeralds surrounding a sky blue enamel circle with words, " Quis Separabit MDCCLXXXIII ." in rose diamonds engraved on back. Value about £14,000. (equivalent to £1,870,000 in 2023). A Diamond Badge of
4453-495: The theft was a Unionist plot to embarrass the Liberal government . A reviewer called it "speculation and allegation dressed up as history". A 2003 study, The Stealing Of The Irish Crown Jewels , stated that while Shackleton and Gorges may have been shielded from prosecution due to fears they would expose homosexuality in prominent figures, this was only speculation, and the police may simply not have had enough evidence against them. In 2023, A Secret Between Gentlemen further detailed
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#17328450204784526-403: The theft, accusations began to be made, most especially by overseas press, that proper investigation of the theft was being suppressed by the British Government to protect prominent names. This led to such claims regularly being made in Parliament by Irish MPs for several years. There was a theory that the jewels were stolen by political activists who were in the Irish Republican Brotherhood . In
4599-431: Was abolished in 1922; the last Lord Lieutenant and Grand Master was Edmund FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent . Initially, the statutes of the Order did not provide that the Grand Master be admitted to the Order as a matter of right. While some Lords Lieutenant were in fact appointed to the Order, this seems to have been the exception rather than the rule. In 1839, Queen Victoria altered this and, though not
4672-402: Was also made by Vicars, including in his will. The Lord Lieutenant's son, Lord Haddo, had been a participant in the parties at the Castle, and King Edward VII's allegedly bisexual brother-in-law the Duke of Argyll was known to Frank Shackleton, through a friendship with the prominent social figure Lord Ronald Gower . Of the persons alleged to be involved in the theft: Only a short time after
4745-489: Was appointed in 1927 and his younger brothers, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester , in 1934 and Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI ), in 1936. The Constitution of Ireland of 1937 provides that "Titles of nobility shall not be conferred by the State" (Article 40.2.1°) and "No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government" (Article 40.2.2°). Legal experts are divided on whether this clause prohibits
4818-553: Was born in Edinburgh to George Hamilton-Gordon, 5th Earl of Aberdeen , and his wife, Mary Baillie, daughter of George Baillie and sister to the Earl of Haddington . He studied at the University of St Andrews and University College, Oxford . He succeeded as 7th Earl of Aberdeen following the death of his eldest brother, George , in January 1870. In 1877 he married Ishbel Marjoribanks (1857–1939), daughter of Sir Dudley Marjoribanks and Isabella Weir-Hogg. They had been long-time friends. Lady Aberdeen later served as President of
4891-405: Was conducted by the Dublin Metropolitan Police . Posters issued by the force depicted and described the missing jewels. Detective Chief Inspector John Kane of Scotland Yard arrived on 12 July to assist. His report, never released, is said to have named the culprit and to have been suppressed by the Royal Irish Constabulary . Vicars refused to resign his position, and similarly refused to appear at
4964-486: Was held by Ulster King of Arms , Ireland's chief heraldic official, a post which had been created in 1552. In 1943, this post was in effect divided in two, reflecting the partition of Ireland in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 . The position, insofar as it related to Northern Ireland , was combined with that of Norroy King of Arms (who had heraldic jurisdiction in the north of England). The post of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms still exists, and thus continues to hold
5037-486: Was inspired by the theft; author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a friend of Vicars, and the fictional Valentine Walters, who steals the Plans but is caught by Holmes, has similarities with Francis Shackleton. Jewels , a Bob Perrin novel based on the theft, was published in 1977. The Case of the Crown Jewels by Donald Serrell Thomas , a Sherlock Holmes story based on the theft, was published in 1997. Order of St Patrick The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
5110-486: Was involved. Shackleton was exonerated in the commission's report, and Vicars was found to have "not exercise[d] due vigilance or proper care as the custodian of the regalia." Vicars was compelled to resign, as were all the staff in his personal employ. In 1908, the Irish journalist Bulmer Hobson published an account of the theft in a radical American newspaper, The Gaelic American , using information he had received from Vicars' half-brother Pierce O'Mahony . It stated that
5183-422: Was left vacant in 1885, restored in 1889, but left vacant again in 1930. For important occasions, such as Coronations and investitures of new members of the Order, Knights of St Patrick wore elaborate vestments: Aside from these special occasions, much simpler accoutrements were used: The Grand Master's insignia were of the same form and design as those of the Knights. In 1831, however, William IV presented
5256-540: Was renamed St Patrick's Hall from its association with the Order, also served as the Chancery of the Order. Installation ceremonies, and later investitures, were held here, often on Saint Patrick's Day , until they were discontinued. A banquet for the Knights was often held in the Hall on the occasion of an installation. St Patrick's Hall now serves as the location for the inauguration of the president of Ireland . Unlike many of
5329-460: Was the last surviving knight. As of 2016, the Order was considered technically extant with its head Queen Elizabeth II and one officer, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms . Prime Minister Winston Churchill suggested reviving the Order in 1943 to recognise the services in North Africa of General Sir Harold Alexander , a member of an Ulster Scots family from County Tyrone , but the opinion of
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