A Solid Gold Toilet Worth More Than $1 Million Was Just Stolen From Winston Churchill’s House
Out of all the things you could steal from a decadent palace, a toilet would not be first on my list—or even my mind. But that's exactly what happened this past weekend at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. And not just any old toilet, either: The porcelain throne in question is made of solid gold and worth more than $1 million.
The toilet, you see, is actually a piece of art titled "America," by the boundary-pushing (if you didn't already get that) Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The piece was installed at the palace on Thursday, September 12 where, despite its price tag, it was meant to be an actual functioning exhibition—yes, that means tourists were able use the expensive toilet themselves. Previously, it was on display at the Guggenheim in the public bathroom where over 100,000 people used the expensive throne, according to The Washington Post.
Even weirder? The exhibit was only installed for two days before the golden toilet was stolen in the middle of the night.
**OFFICIAL STATEMENT**
Following the Thames Valley Police statement we can confirm ‘America’, the art piece by Maurizio Cattelan has been stolen in the early hours of this morning.
We are saddened by this extraordinary event, but also relieved no-one was hurt.— Blenheim Palace (@BlenheimPalace) September 14, 2019
“We knew there was huge interest in the Maurizio Cattelan contemporary art exhibition, with many set to come and enjoy the installations,” the Detective Jess Milne of the Thames Valley Police said in a statement. "It’s therefore a great shame an item so precious has been taken.”
And the price of the (presumably insured) art isn't the only loss: “Due to the toilet being plumbed in to the building, this has caused significant damage and flooding," Milne continued. “We believe a group offenders used at least two vehicles during the offense.”
The police received the report for the burglary at 4:57 am on Saturday morning, which reported that the thieves broke in overnight and left the scene at around 4:50 am.
According to the Thames Valley Police, a 66-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident and is currently in police custody.
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