French demand British jewels for 1499 murder

Angers, in the Loire Valley west of Paris, was once capital of the Anjou province and home of the House of Plantagenet.

It ruled England from 1154 to 1485, providing some of the greatest monarchs in British history, including Richard the Lionheart and Henry V.

An expensive murder: Residents of the French town claim that the Crown Jewels would be a sufficient payment for the death of the Earl of Warwick. u00a0Pic/Getty Images

But when Earl of Warwick Edward Plantagenet was murdered in the Tower of London in 1499 by Henry VII's henchmen, the house's legitimate male line came to an end.

Now, city chiefs want the royal sparklers from the Queen, in lieu of 513 years' compensation. A petition reads, "As redress for the execution of Edward, Angers demands that the Crown Jewels of England be transferred to Angers."

The petition calls the killing a "state crime" against a noble line which played a big part in making Britain great.

It calls for the jewels to be put on public display at the Saint Aubin tower in Angers.

The Queen will be sent the petition in September. A council spokesman admitted it had "little chance of success".

2,868
The number of diamonds in the Imperial Crown

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