At the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond
(above) was discovered during a routine inspection by the mine’s superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, the “Cullinan” as it was christened, was the largest diamond ever found. It was  presented
to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold
the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, and they
presented the stone to Britain’s King Edward VII as a birthday
gift.

The Cullinan Diamond being held by mine superintendent
Frederick Wells.

SANDY KOZEL

ED DANAHUE

SANDY KOZEL

(FoxNews) – A stained vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when
he was beheaded in 1649 is set to go on display in London. The King’s
execution is a key moment in British history.

Exactly 371 years ago on a bitterly cold Jan. 30, 1649, the king stepped
out of the Banqueting House in Central London onto a scaffold, where
his executioner awaited with an ax. A large crowd assembled to watch
the beheading.

King Charles I’s Royalists were defeated by Parliament’s forces in the
bloody English Civil Wars, which lasted from 1642 to 1651. In May 1646,
after suffering a string of military defeats, the King had placed himself
in the protection of a Scottish army but was handed over to the English
Parliament nine months later.

Put on trial, the king was sentenced to death for high treason on Jan. 27,
1649 and beheaded three days later.

Other artifacts said to be from Charles I’s execution including gloves, a handkerchief, a sash, and fragments of a cloak will also be shown in the “Executions” exhibition, which opens on Oct. 16, 2020.

The execution of King Charles the First by Severino Baraldi.