The lost ruby

The great-grandson of the last king of Burma (deposed by the British in 1885) has come to London, as we report today, searching for a fabulous ruby, worth a kingdom. Was it stolen by a British official as the last king went into exile? Was it cut into four and set in the Imperial Crown of India, of which George V complained: “It hurt my head, as it is pretty heavy.” Or did Queen Victoria’s daughter, Louise, leave it in her will to a mysterious legatee? The answer is tantalisingly close, if secret papers were only disclosed. But it is remarkable that a gem like this exerts the same fascination as did the Black Prince’s Ruby, once treasured by the Moorish king of Granada and worn by Henry V on his helm at Agincourt. The Burmese ruby may be worth millions, if not a kingdom, but it is the deep, smouldering light of the stone that works its magic.