An employee of the official residence of the British Queen Elizabeth II kidnapped dozens from the palace in London items, the cost of which is estimated at 100 thousand pounds sterling (more than 10 million rubles). The Daily Mail reports.
37-year-old Adamo Canto worked at Buckingham Palace for about five years. During the lockdown introduced in London at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was entrusted with additional cleaning duties. The servant took advantage of this to rob the cupboards of courtiers’ belongings, the bedding room, the Duke of York’s storeroom, the Royal Collection ticket office, and the shops at the Palace and Royal Gallery. Some of the stolen items have not yet been found.
Among other things, Kanto’s spoils were the Medal of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, which belonged to the Queen’s Master of Household, retired Vice Admiral Anthony Johnstone-Burt, and the badge of the Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, the rightful owner of which was a retired general. Major Matthew Sykes, who served at court from 2007 to 2010. In addition, he stole the signed photographs of Prince William and Kate Middleton and a photo album made during a banquet on the occasion of the visit of the President of the United States Donald Trump . p >
The servant managed to sell 37 stolen items at the eBay online auction . The medal of the Order of the Bath went under the hammer for 350 pounds (35 thousand rubles), the photos brought 1.5 thousand pounds (152 thousand rubles), and Kanto’s total revenue was 7.7 thousand pounds (784 thousand rubles).
Housekeeper Anthony Johnston-Burt noticed the disappearance of the medal on June 11, while preparing for the regular parade in honor of the birthday of Elizabeth II. For more than two weeks he searched for the medal, believing that he had transferred it to another place, but on June 25 he still turned to the police. Matthew Sykes discovered that his order was missing on 24 August and reported it to the police the next day.
The court released Kanto on bail pending sentencing. He faces imprisonment.
In 2009 it was reported that cutlery was stolen from Elizabeth II. The servants were missing at least eight silver forks and spoons from the era of King George III, a number of Victorian objects, as well as several plates and cups with royal monograms that were kept at Buckingham Palace.