Heist on ‘The Crown’ Set Sees Over $200,000 Worth of Antique Props Stolen

Keep calm and carry on filming.

Netflix confirmed that Season 5 of “The Crown” suffered a large theft to the tune of £150,000, or $201,000, after three production trucks were broken into February 18.

The heist occurred in a lorry park in Mexborough in Yorkshire, where “The Crown” was filming nearby. Over 350 items were taken, including a replica of a 1897 Russian Imperial Coronation Fabergé coach egg purchased by the Queen’s grandfather, as well as 12 sets of silver candelabras, jewelry, a William IV grandfather clock, 10-piece silver dressing table, St. Louis gilt crystal glassware and decanters, and a domed birdcage, per The Mirror.

“The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale,” “The Crown” set decorator Alison Harvey told the Gazette (via Variety). “However, they are valuable as pieces to the U.K. film industry.”

Netflix said, “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.”

The streaming platform also confirmed that a police investigation is ongoing with the South Yorkshire Police. 

Season 5 of “The Crown” began filming in July 2021; the theft occurred during the last week of production. Next season adds Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Imelda Staunton as the Queen, and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. 

While reports over the accuracy of “The Crown” portrayal of the royal family have been disputed, the critically acclaimed Netflix series has been at the center of a large ongoing debate over the treatment of the British monarchy. Prince Harry told James Corden on “The Late Late Show” that the series is “loosely based on the truth.”

Harry continued, “They don’t pretend to be news… But loosely, it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle — what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else — what can come from that.”

The former royal titleholder added, “I’m way more comfortable with ‘The Crown’ than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself. Because that is the difference between what is obviously fiction, take it how you will, but this has been reported on as fact because you are supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.” 

Confidantes of Prince Charles spoke to The Mail (via The Times) about the decades-spanning series to accuse “The Crown” Season 4 of “dragging up things that happened during very difficult times 25 or 30 years ago without a thought for anyone’s feelings.” Prince William is rumored to echo these sentiments.

Ahead of the Season 4 premiere, U.K. Cultural Secretary Oliver Dowden urged Netflix to add a disclaimer to episodes notifying viewers the events depicted in the series are a dramatization of history. “It’s a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that,” he said, noting that without a disclaimer he fears “a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.”