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🇫🇷 France /Culture & Society

King Charles I's Ship, Carrying 'Hundreds of Millions' in Riches, Possibly Found Off Scotland

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Researchers may have discovered the wreck of a ship belonging to King Charles I, lost in 1633.
  • The vessel, the Blessing of Burntisland, sank in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, carrying royal treasures.
  • Further analysis is required to confirm the wreck's identity, but initial findings suggest a significant historical find.

After three decades of searching, the mystery surrounding the wreck of a ship carrying part of King Charles I's fortune may finally be solved. Researchers believe they have located the Blessing of Burntisland in the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The wooden ship sank in July 1633 while en route from Burntisland to Leith, carrying the monarch's possessions.

King Charles I was on a different vessel at the time, while his riches were entrusted to the Blessing. The ship, carrying 35 passengers and crew, sank during a violent storm. Only two survived. The cargo reportedly included jewels, clothing, coins, and royal tableware, with a gold and silver service commissioned by Henry VIII possibly among the treasures.

We may have found the site of a historical wreck, but we have not yet identified it.

— Ian ArchibaldHead of research at Burntisland Heritage, cautioning about the preliminary nature of the discovery.

According to Burntisland Heritage, the cargo was valued at £100,000 in the 17th century, a sum equivalent to "hundreds of millions" of euros today. It is estimated that nearly five tons of gold and silver could be on the site. The search has been challenging due to the depth, poor visibility, and sediment covering the seabed in the Firth of Forth.

Researchers from Burntisland Heritage claim to have used underwater detection technologies, advanced scanning techniques, and on-site explorations. They have recovered wood samples, but Ian Archibald, head of the research, cautioned that they have not yet definitively identified the wreck. "We may have found the site of a historical wreck, but we have not yet identified it," he stated. Further steps, including carbon dating of the wood sample, are necessary to confirm if it is indeed the Blessing of Burntisland. The British Crown officially owns any discovered wreck.

We have recovered a wood sample, but we do not know at this stage which ship it comes from. The next step would be carbon dating.

— Ian ArchibaldExplaining the ongoing process of verifying the wreck's identity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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