A royal household staffer was arrested by British law enforcement agents last week, the Daily Mail revealed, after the medal of the Master of the Household was stolen from the Buckingham Palace and then appeared on eBay as listed for £350.
According to the report, a spokesman for the Met police confirmed that they have arrested a 37-year-old man, who had been working for the palace’s hospitality team for six years, in relation to “an investigation into the theft of items from premises belonging to the Royal Household”. The probe was still ongoing, the police added.
The staffer was detained at the Royal Mews, part of the Queen’s residence at Buckingham Palace, on 7 August. He has reportedly been bailed while the Scotland Yard was investigating the theft incidents, which also includes the disappearance of some other high-profile items from the royal grounds, including engraved glasses, handcrafted Smythson stationery and picture frames featuring the insignia of Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Prince Harry.
The stealing of The Companion of the Order of the Bath medal belonging to Tony Johnstone-Burt OBE, Vice Admiral and the Master of the Household, from the Buckingham Palace was however the most “astonishing”, an anonymous source told the Daily Mail. According to the insider, the palace staff informed the British police about missing items this year.
Vice Admiral Johnstone-Burt was awarded the medal, which signifies an order of chivalry, in 2013. As the Master of the Household, he is responsible for internal operations within the royal premises, including catering, all entertainment and ceremonial events, as well as maintenance and administration.
The Buckingham Palace did not confirm the news, arguing that they could not provide a comment on investigation by the police that was still ongoing.
