The Crown: Police drop theft case after £150,000 worth of props stolen from set in Yorkshire - including Faberge egg replica

By Douglas Whitbread
Published 30th Jan 2024, 10:58 BST
Thieves who nicked £150,000 worth of props from the Netflix series The Crown may have made a princely fortune - after police dropped the case.

The crooks stole 200 pieces from the show when they raided three of its production lorries in Yorkshire, including a replica Russian Fabergé Egg thought to be worth thousands.

They also managed to get away with candelabras, jewellery, and gems during the break-in on the last week of filming for the programme's fifth series in February 2022.

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South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation following the staggering theft in Doncaster but have been unable to find the culprits two years later. Their only success to date was discovering a partially submerged mannequin belonging to the show in a nearby canal.

Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla (Olivia Williams) filming The Crown in Yorkshire. Credit: NetflixCharles (Dominic West) and Camilla (Olivia Williams) filming The Crown in Yorkshire. Credit: Netflix
Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla (Olivia Williams) filming The Crown in Yorkshire. Credit: Netflix

A spokesperson for the force confirmed this week that the case had gone cold and had been closed. They said: "The case has been filed pending any new lines of enquiry coming forward."

It is thought that the hundreds of items will have now been broken down and sold on the black market.

Dominic West, the actor who played the then Prince Charles said all the props used in the show had been chosen with an "extraordinary level of detail."

He also jokingly asked Crown set decorator, Alison Harvey, during a promotional clip if she'd been part of an "inside job", which she good-naturedly rejected.