Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of 18-Carat Gold Toilet from Blenheim Palace

Published: 02 April 2024 at 17:19

Crime

James "Jimmy" Sheen, 39, pleaded guilty to burglary, transferring criminal property, and conspiracy in connection to the theft of a 4.8m 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace. The toilet, created by artist Maurizio Cattelan, went missing just two days after being installed at the Oxfordshire stately home during an art exhibition. Sheen, serving a 17-year sentence for other thefts, caused flooding and damage during the heist. Three other men are set to go on trial for charges related to the theft in February. Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds significance as the former home of the Churchill family and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

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Blenheim, Oxfordshire (Wikipedia)

Blenheim is a civil parish in West Oxfordshire, England, about 7 miles (11 km) north of Oxford. At its edge is Blenheim Palace, which is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough.

Blenheim Palace (Wikipedia)

Blenheim Palace ( BLEN-im) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and 1722, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.The palace is named after the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. It was originally intended to be a reward to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough for his military triumphs against the French and Bavarians in the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the Battle of Blenheim. The land was given as a gift, and construction began in 1705, with some financial support from Queen Anne. The project soon became the subject of political infighting, with the Crown cancelling further financial support in 1712, Marlborough's three-year voluntary exile to the Continent, the fall from influence of his duchess, and lasting damage to the reputation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh.Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720s. It is unique in its combined use as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.Following the palace's completion, it became the home of the Churchill (later Spencer-Churchill) family for the next 300 years, and various members of the family have wrought changes to the interiors, park and gardens. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was saved from ruin by funds gained from the 9th Duke of Marlborough's marriage to American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt.

Archaeologists Unearth Remarkable Roman Villa Complex in a Small English Village

Archaeologists have discovered a Roman villa complex in the small English village of Grove, decorated with painted plaster, mosaics, and tiny lead scrolls hinting at rituals. The site, central to Oxfordshire, spanned 1,000 square meters and showed signs of Roman activity from the 1st or 2nd century to the late 4th or early 5th century. The villa also included an impressive hall-like structure built later, indicating administrative functions. Excavations revealed coins, jewelry, and a horse-headed buckle from the late Roman period, with ongoing investigations uncovering more mysteries like a potential burial site.

Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board (Wikipedia)

The Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board established in 1999 was the brainchild of Sir Hugo Brunner, then Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, and Edwin Townsend-Coles, Chairman of the Oxford Civic Society. The Board is an autonomous voluntary body whose members are drawn from cultural organisations and local government across the county. It awards and installs blue plaques on buildings in Oxford and Oxfordshire to commemorate very remarkable residents and, occasionally, historic events. For more detailed information, see the Board’s website.

John Vanbrugh (Wikipedia)

Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse (1696) and The Provoked Wife (1697), which have become enduring stage favourites but originally occasioned much controversy. He was knighted in 1714.Vanbrugh was in many senses a radical throughout his life. As a young man and a committed Whig, he was part of the scheme to overthrow James II and put William III on the throne. He was imprisoned by the French as a political prisoner. In his career as a playwright, he offended many sections of Restoration and 18th century society, not only by the sexual explicitness of his plays, but also by their messages in defence of women's rights in marriage. He was attacked on both counts, and was one of the prime targets of Jeremy Collier's Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage.In his architectural career, he created what came to be known as English Baroque. His architectural work was as bold and daring as his early political activism and marriage-themed plays, and jarred conservative opinions on the subject.