Napoleonic Plaques Returned to Hampshire After TV Show Lovejoy Clue

Television reruns of beloved British comedy helped solve real-life theft of Napoleon treasures

A television rerun of a beloved British comedy helped solve a real-life theft of Napoleon treasures. An episode of Lovejoy, a BBC comedy aired between 1986 to 1994, has aided in uncovering the mystery behind a brazen theft of princess Napoleonic artefacts from a Hampshire abbey. Two altar plaques stolen more than ten years ago from the crypt of Emperor Napoleon III have now been recovered after an antiques dealer recognised their design while wa…

Lovejoy episode helps antiques dealer spot plaques stolen from Napoleon III tomb

Paul Gostelow identified a motif on the prayer frames, which were taken in a burglary at a Hampshire monastery in 2014.

Priceless historic plaques linked to Napoleon Bonaparte III discovered by Derbyshire antiques dealer

The 'priceless' plaques were discovered after a man recognised them from a hit 1990s TV series

Napoleonic plaques returned to Hampshire after TV show Lovejoy clue

An antiques dealer realised they were Napoleonic by the markings he recalled seeing on TV show Lovejoy.

Antiques dealer spots stolen Napoleon III plaques on 30-year-old episode of Lovejoy

Hampshire Constabulary has since returned two of the plaques

Napoleon-era artefacts stolen from abbey crypt found decade later after 1990s TV clue

Priceless Napoleonic-era artefacts stolen from St Michael’s Abbey crypt in Farnborough in 2014 recovered after Derbyshire antiques dealer spots…