Stolen royal jewels worth $7M ‘found in rubbish bin’

Stolen royal treasure valued at $7 million may have been found by a security guard on top of a rubbish bin in a suburb just outside of Stockholm.

According to a police report, two crowns and a golden orb adorned with a crucifix dating back to 1611 were stolen from an alarmed display in a cathedral in Strangas last July. The thieves smashed the glass and fled the scene in a speedboat taking advantage of the vast system of lakes in the area, escaping from police boats and helicopters.

The treasure was discovered near a bin by a security guard around 1am on Tuesday and will undergo an examination to determine authenticity.

Police have said in a statement that they’re hopeful these are the official priceless jewels.

"Everything suggests that Charles IX's stolen funeral regalia have been found in the Stockholm area, but police are working hard to get it 100 percent confirmed," the statement read.

More details would come "when we know for sure if it is the stolen regalia."

The discovery of the items interrupted the trial of a 22-year-old Swedish man arrested in September. He has not been publically identified, and a second man has also been detained.

The stolen jewels belonging to former Swedish monarchs are funeral regalia, which are placed inside or on top of a coffin to symbolise a deceased royal’s ranking and identity.

Although some funeral regalia is kept on display in cathedrals around the capital, the majority of Sweden’s crown jewels are kept in vaults under the Royal palace in Stockholm.