A SET of "irreplaceable" gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots to her execution in 1587 are among historical items stolen in a £1 million raid of Arundel Castle.

Other items taken in the burglary of the West Sussex castle include coronation cups given by Mary to the Earl Marshal along with other gold and silver items.

Staff were alerted to the break-in on the evening of Friday, May 21, after a burglar alarm was tripped and police rushed to the scene.

A 4×4 saloon car, which has since been burnt out and abandoned, is thought to have been involved in the raid.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Police are seeking thieves who broke into Arundel Castle and stole gold and silver items worth in excess of £1m.

“At 10.30pm on Friday, May 21 castle staff were alerted of a break-in after a burglar alarm had sounded.

“Police were on the scene within minutes.

“Various items have been stolen of great historical significance.

“These include the gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in 1587, several coronation cups given by the sovereign to the Earl Marshal of the day, and other gold and silver treasures.

“The rosary is of little intrinsic value as metal, but as a piece of the Howard family history and the nation’s heritage, it is irreplaceable.

“The items were taken by force from a display cabinet along the public route.”

READ MORE: The story of the Honours of Scotland - our Crown Jewels

The spokesman added: “Police are examining a 4×4 saloon which was found abandoned and on fire in nearby Barlavington a short while later, to establish whether it is connected to the burglary."

A spokesman for Arundel Castle Trustees said: “The stolen items have significant monetary value, but as unique artefacts of the Duke of Norfolk’s collection have immeasurably greater and priceless historical importance.

“We therefore urge anyone with information to come forward to the police to assist them in returning these treasures back where they belong.”

Detective Constable Molly O’Malley of Chichester CID said: “If you were in Arundel on Friday evening and saw any suspicious activity around the area of the castle, please contact us either online or by calling 101, quoting Operation Deuce.

“In addition, the castle only re-opened to visitors on Tuesday, May 18 so if you were visiting during the past few days do you, on reflection, recall anyone behaving at all suspiciously?

“If you are offered or hear of anyone offering for sale any of the items stolen, we would also like to hear from you.

“You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”