MI6’s quest for ‘Holy Grail’ thwarted by Spanish cleaning lady

It is a story, in the words of the researcher who has uncovered it, that would serve for ‘three or even four Hollywood movies’.

Valencia Cathedral, home to the Santo Caliz de Valencia, an agate cup believed to be the Holy Grail.

It is a story, in the words of the researcher who has uncovered it, that would serve for “three or even four Hollywood movies”. A tale that takes place in Civil War-era Spain, featuring a heroic female protagonist, British spies and an ancient cup considered by some to be the Holy Grail.

In 1939, as Spain’s fratricidal conflict was reaching its conclusion, militias were regularly looting churches and cathedrals for items of value. There were also many German and British spies operating in the country as the tensions that would lead to the outbreak of World War II escalated.

The unlikely hero of this story is Sabina Suey, the cleaning lady at Valencia Cathedral in the eastern Mediterranean city. The cathedral was – and still is – the home of the Santo Caliz de Valencia, an agate cup that is believed to be the Holy Grail that was used by Jesus during the Last Supper.

Given the chance that the relic could be stolen by militias, Suey risked her life by smuggling it to her home, where she hid it among the springs of a sofa.

This part of the story is well known in Spain, but thanks to previously unseen documents and photographs, the researcher Ana Mafe Garcia has uncovered a twist.

Her work has revealed that the British secret services, specifically MI6, offered Suey and her family safe passage to the UK if she would bring the holy chalice with her and hand it over.

“Sabina was literally being pursued by the secret services to go to England with her family by ship,” Dr Garcia told the Cadena SER radio network. “She was a very advanced woman for her time, however. She didn’t trust them and refused the offer.”

The British, Dr Garcia explained, were interested in the grail for its historical value at a time when many artworks and relics were being looted from Spain to be sold in countries such as the US.

Dr Garcia is chairwoman of the International Scientific Committee for Holy Grail Studies, and is preparing an exhibition dedicated to the story of Sabina Suey, including these recent discoveries.

The documents that will go on display in October in the Valencian municipality of Massamagrell include hand-written notes by Maria Suey, who was Sabina’s sister, as well as personal photographs, diaries and testimonies of direct relatives who had knowledge of the rescue plan.

“These pages and testimonies reveal the network of collaborators that Sabina managed to gather, demonstrating the importance of solidarity and shared courage in times of crisis,” Garcia said.

THE TIMES