A Heist On The Set Of The Crown Boosted Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Props
The British monarchy, a Fabergé egg, and a heist. No, this isn't the plot of the latest prestige royal drama — it's an actual news account, ripped right from the headlines. Scandal follows the royal family wherever they go, including the world of fiction. Variety reports that over $200,000 worth of antique props were stolen from the set of "The Crown" while the Netflix series filmed its fifth season in Mexborough, Yorkshire. The theft occurred when three prop vans were broken into and over 350 items were taken, including a replica of a Fabergé egg, crystal glassware, a grandfather clock clockface, and silver and gold candelabras. In case anticipation of this glossy drama was beginning to fade (given the lengthy waits between seasons), this heist will no doubt put "The Crown" back on your radar.
A royal heist for a royal series
"The Crown" has always been a lavish affair, as one of Netflix's most ambitious and expensive series to date. The drama chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, putting the royal family front and center as it explores grander themes of British society and politics. Naturally, this requires a couple hundred jewels here and there, and antique items all around, if just for the sake of the set dressing the highlighting just how ridiculously wealthy high society circles tend to run. The loss of these props round out to around $200,000, but in true Britush fashion, Netflix is going all stiff upper lip and keeping the cameras rolling. A spokesperson for Netflix has confirmed that the theft will not affect production, though actions have been taken to reclaim the stolen items:
"We can confirm the antiques have been stolen and we hope that they are found and returned safely. Replacements will be sourced, there is no expectation that filming will be held up."
Should the thieves attempt to sell the items, Netflix has already given a description to the weekly publication, Antiques Trade Gazette. "The Crown" set decorator Alison Harvey has also gone on record saying that the items aren't in the most pristine condition nor would they have a huge resale value, but also stressed their importance to the world of film. Harvey told the Gazette:
"The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale. However, they are valuable as pieces to the UK film industry."
In terms of the investigation, a spokesperson for South Yorkshire police told Variety:
"Police were called at 4.30pm on Wednesday 16 February following a report of theft from vehicles at Pastures Road, Doncaster. It is reported that three vehicles containing props used in film and TV were broken into and a number of items taken. Officers investigated the incident but all existing lines of enquiry have now been exhausted. The case has been filed pending any new lines of enquiry."
The fifth season of "The Crown" doesn't have an official premiere date yet, but is expected to arrive in November 2022.