After three decades of searching, researchers believe they may have finally located the wreck of a 17th-century ship that belonged to King Charles I and went down with a fortune in treasure, according to reports.
The vessel, known as the Blessing of Burntisland, sank in July 1633 in the Firth of Forth off the Scottish coast during the king’s coronation tour, GB News reported Thursday. Volunteers with a local heritage group say they think they’ve zeroed in on the site using scanning technology.
The ship was carrying what is now valued at about 20 million pounds, adjusted for inflation, including jewelry, textiles, coins, precious-metal plate, and possibly a gold and silver dinner service, according to Divernet, a diving and underwater archaeology publication. Only two of the 35 passengers and crew aboard are believed to have survived the sinking, which happened in unexpectedly rough weather while the ship sailed from Burntisland to Leith.
King Charles I was traveling in a separate vessel at the time, so he was not on board when the Blessing went down.
Ian Archibald, who leads the search, said the team has not yet confirmed the find.
âWe may have found the site of a historic wreck, but we have not yet identified it. We have retrieved a timber sample but we do not know at this stage what ship that has come from. The next stage would be carbon-dating,â Archibald said.
The site offers potential not just for treasure hunting but for historical significance. “Should the identification finally be confirmed, the wreck has the potential to become one of Scotland’s most significant maritime archaeological discoveries,” the Divernet report said.
Local leaders and officials are already discussing the possibility of creating a visitor center and museum to display artifacts that might be recovered, according to GB News.
Charles I, who was born in Fife, Scotland, on November 19, 1600, ruled as king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1625 to 1649. His authoritarian rule and conflicts with Parliament eventually led to civil war and his execution, according to Britannica.
The search volunteers with Burntisland Heritage have been working for years to solve this maritime mystery. The next steps include carbon-dating the timber sample to determine its age, which could help confirm whether the wreck is indeed the Blessing of Burntisland.
Source: www.breitbart.com â https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/08/20/scotland-researchers-may-have-found-king-charles-is-lost-treasure-laden-ship-sank-in-1633/