Duchess Of Rutland Loses £30.000 In Jewellery

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29380, 6 December 1960, Page 25

Duchess Of Rutland Loses £30.000 In Jewellery

<A.Z. Press Association— CopyngM)

LONDON, Dec. 4. A ' daring sneak-thief swooped on the luggage of the Duchess of Rutland on an express train and stole a jewel case worth £30,000. This is the theory Scotland Yard is working on tonight, the “Evening Standard” reported. It took over the case after the duchess reported that the jewel case vanished during a journey from her home, Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, to London.

The “Evening News.” reporting that the 22-year-old duchess had been robbed of “a fortune in jewellery including family heirlooms,” said only a small proportion of the gems was insured. The 41-year-old Duke of Rutland has offered £5OO reward for information leading to their return.

Twelve pieces of jewellery were stolen including some which were more than 100 years old. Main items were a diamond necklace, a diamond cross and diamond ear-rings. The “Evening News” said the case could have been stolen from the duchess’s flat.

Newspapers told this story of her movements on Tuesday, the day of the robbery: the duchess left Belvoir Castle with the jewels in a small jewel case packed into a suitcase. She was

travelling to her London flat and caught the 9.30 a.m. train from Grantham. The first-class compartment in which she sat was full and so were the luggage racks. The Duchess left her suitcase in the corridor outside. When the train arrived at King’s Cross she picked up the suitease and went straight to her flat in Belgrave place. She put it in the bedroom and went out to lunch.

When she returned in the early evening she unpacked and discovered the jewel case was missing. There was no sign that the flat had been broken into.

The Duke said tonight: '’The train was crowded and my wife might not have kept her eyes on the case the whole time it was in the corridor. The duchess is very upset as many of the pieces have great sentimental value.”