The Crown Jewels (Thieves in Time)

Lore & Background

The British Crown Jewels have passed through countless hands of kings, queens, and thieves over the centuries, yet the museum that houses them in this era represents the pinnacle of institutional security. Clockwerk, the time-traveling villain at the heart of Sly Cooper 3, has his eyes on the jewels as part of a broader scheme to amass artifacts across history. The museum's layout—its galleries, service corridors, and the central vault—becomes a labyrinth of laser grids, patrol routes, and locked doors that the Cooper Gang must thread without triggering alarms.

For Sly, the heist is less about the monetary value of the jewels and more about the principle: no vault is untouchable, no institution is above the Cooper legacy. Bentley handles the tech—disabling cameras, rerouting power to create safe windows—while Murray provides the muscle for any guard that gets too close. The trio's coordination is tested by the tight indoor geometry, where a single misstep can set off a chain of alarms that floods the floor with security teams.

The heist sits within the broader narrative of the Cooper Gang racing Clockwerk to collect artifacts scattered across time and space. Each successful theft is a step toward dismantling his plan, and the Crown Jewels represent a particularly high-profile target that draws the attention of both the museum's security apparatus and Clockwerk's own operatives, who may already be embedded in the building.

In Their Own Story

The rain had just stopped over London, leaving the museum's glass façade slick and reflective. Sly crouched on a gargoyle, watching the patrol below cycle through its route for the third time. Bentley's goggles flickered green on his wrist. "Security rotation's got a nine-second gap at the east corridor. You've got your window, boss."

Murray was already inside, having gone in through the loading dock with a crate of decorative urns as cover. "I moved the chandelier. It's… well, it's a chandelier. It's heavy. I'm fine."

Sly dropped through the skylight, boots finding the velvet rope barrier without a sound. The Crown Jewels sat under a glass dome in the center of the vault, catching the emergency lighting in slow, golden arcs. He could almost feel the weight of the history in them. One hand on the glass. One breath. Then the vault seal hissed open, and the Cooper Gang walked out of London's most secure building with the most guarded treasure in the Empire, leaving nothing but a single acorn on the pedestal as a calling card.

Reader's Guide

TARGET: The British Crown Jewels, displayed in a central glass dome within a multi-level London museum. The heist requires you to infiltrate the building, navigate its security systems, and extract the jewels before alarms lock down the vault.

OBSTACLES: The museum is riddled with patrolling guards, camera systems, and laser grids. Bentley's tech gadgets are essential for disabling cameras and creating safe corridors. Murray's brawling ability becomes necessary when guards close in. The tight indoor geometry means fewer escape routes than outdoor stages, so planning your path before committing to a route is critical.

STORY POSITION: As a London heist, this mission slots into the Cooper Gang's global artifact-collection arc against Clockwerk. It represents a high-security indoor challenge that tests the team's coordination in a confined space.

TIPS AND HIDDEN OBJECTIVES: Collectibles (Wrenches, Acorns, Stars) are scattered throughout the museum's upper galleries, service corridors, and behind decorative elements. Exploring the loading dock and upper floors reveals bonus items and shortcuts. Watch guard patrol patterns before engaging—timing your movements to their rotations minimizes the risk of triggering a full alarm response. Bentley's gadgets can be used to create temporary safe zones, but they have cooldowns, so use them deliberately rather than reactively.

Did You Know?

• The Crown Jewels heist is set in London, making it one of the geographically diverse targets the Cooper Gang must hit across Sly Cooper 3's global campaign.
• Sly Cooper 3: The Thieves in Time was developed by Sucker Punch Productions, the same team behind the original Sly Cooper and Sly 2: Band of Thieves.
• The game's core mechanic revolves around the trio of Sly, Bentley, and Murray, each with distinct abilities—stealth and acrobatics, tech and gadgetry, and brute force—making coordinated play essential for vault-style hei
• Clockwerk, the antagonist of Sly Cooper 3, is a time-traveling villain whose scheme drives the entire artifact-collection plot, with the Crown Jewels being one of many targets across history.