Someone Stole 'The Crown' Jewels

Related | There's Never Been a Better Time to Be a Royal Watcher

The hit Netflix show that depicts the life and legacy of the British monarchy has resumed filming its fifth season, only to be upended by a $200,000 theft of antique props.

While not exactly at the level of a crown jewel heist, the items reportedly stolen do include jewelry as well as an antique grandfather clock, crystal glassware and gold and silver candelabras, according to Variety. The cast and crew were supposedly shooting nearby when the items were lifted from three parked vehicles in Yorkshire.

Netflix released a statement following the discovery, ensuring the show will go on with or without the stolen props, saying: “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 service also provided a description of the items in case of their attempted sale, noting that they “are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale,” which could be a deterrent for any potential buyers.

“Police were called at 4:30 PM on Wednesday February, 16 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.” said a rep from South Yorkshire County. Though perhaps not intrinsically valuable, the objects are worth something to those in the UK film industry — be it commemorative, or otherwise — and while Netflix ensured this wouldn’t cause any delays, the producers working tirelessly to bring fans the royal experience surely don’t deserve the headache.

The highly anticipated new season will star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, while Elizabeth Debicki assumes the role of Princess Diana following Emma Corrin’s acclaimed performance. These aged-up versions of the characters keep in line with the chronology of the Queen’s life, now nearing the present day. As such, the show’s creator Peter Morgan has said the show will come to a close in the sixth season. Netflix revealed that the plotline surrounds Lady Di’s 1995 interview with Martin Bashir and will air at the end of this year, hopefully with no more coups against the crown.

Despite the loss of items, maybe Netflix can make use of the damage with a The Crown heist spinoff series. We’d certainly stream.

Photo via Getty/Peter Summers