A Massive On-Set Jewelry Heist Is Hitting The Crown Hard
As Netflix's hit series "The Crown" transitions into Season 5, no one was prepared for a heist of its prop jewelry, antiques, and impressive replicas. The cast for the next evolution of the story was announced late 2021, preparing fans to say goodbye to Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth II. Imelda Staunton will be donning the crown this time around and will be joined by Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Dominic West as Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, according to ET.
Series producer Andrew Eaton spoke about the ambition of bringing the project to life with Set Decor in 2017, revealing the creative team "constantly had to push boundaries to give the series the scale it needed." He explained, "If you're telling a story about one of the wealthiest, most famous families in the world, you've got to live up to that." A lot of time and extreme research went into recreating Buckingham Palace and other locations through different time periods, so naturally those spaces had to be filled with convincing props and decor.
The attention to detail may not influence what the real royal family thinks of "The Crown," but it does provide an immersive world of storytelling for the fans. Now, a robbery is causing a bit of drama for the production ahead of the Season 5 release in November 2022 — a very expensive bit of drama.
$200,000 of gemstones and antiques were stolen from set
Props featured in "The Crown" were stolen near the show's set in Doncaster, England. The overnight raid occurred as thieves gained access to the lorries — cargo trucks for non-English folk — and proceeded to "strip them of the lot" from storage, according to a source for The Sun. The stolen assortment included over 350 items — a devastating blow to a show so intricately designed.
A Netflix rep confirmed the robbery with Variety and expressed, "we hope that they are found and returned safely. Replacements will be sourced, there is no expectation that filming will be held up." The quick response and an attitude of "the show must go on" will surely be a relief to fans, but it is unclear how much the missing items will affect schedules, shots, and set plans for the filming of Season 5.
Netflix has even enlisted the help of the Antiques Trade Gazette to keep an eye out for the props. "The Crown" set decorator Alison Harvey revealed, "The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale." What a small bit of relief! However, she did add that the lot "are valuable as pieces to the UK film industry." The publication was given a list of some notable items from the show, including a replica of a rare Fabergé egg, silver and gold candelabra, silverware, jewelry, a domed birdcage, and just the face of a William IV grandfather clock. Quite an extravagant haul.