Stolen Items from Napoleon III's Crypt Recovered Thanks to TV Series

In an unusual turn of events, artifacts stolen over a decade ago and linked to the last Emperor of France have been recovered thanks to a television comedy series. This concerns two wooden altar plaques that were part of the furnishings of Napoleon III's crypt at St Michael's Abbey in Farnborough.Napoleon III, born Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, was President of the French Second Republic and later Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. After the defeat at Sedan and the fall of the Second Empire, he went into exile in the United Kingdom, where he died in 1873. His body and that of his son rest in the specially built abbey in Farnborough, which became a pilgrimage site for Bonapartists. The theft of three plaques occurred in February 2014 during a break-in at the crypt. For years, the items were considered lost forever. The breakthrough came when an antique dealer from Derbyshire, Paul Gostelow, while watching a rerun of a BBC 'Lovejoy' episode, recognized the distinctive features of two objects in his possession. The series, aired from 1986 to 1994, followed the adventures of the titular antique dealer, and one episode featured visually similar artifacts. Gostelow immediately contacted Hampshire Constabulary, which confirmed they were the missing artifacts. 12 lat — the items remained missing Police emphasize that the recovered plaques hold immense historical and sentimental value for the abbey and the local community. The third stolen item remains missing. The investigation into the 2014 break-in has been reopened. St Michael's Abbey, managed by Benedictines, is an important site commemorating French and British history. The recovery of the artifacts highlights the unexpected role of popular culture in heritage protection. The case also raises broader questions about securing similar objects in less guarded locations.