90s TV Show Solves 12-Year Theft of Napoleon's Plaques

Sometimes the best detectives aren't the ones carrying badges. When antiques dealer Paul Gostelow spotted a familiar motif on two wooden prayer frames, he immediately thought of a three-decade-old episode of the BBC series Lovejoy and realized he might be looking at stolen history.

The 19th-century plaques had been missing since February 2014, when burglars broke into St. Michael's Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire. They took three unique altar plaques from the crypt of Napoleon Bonaparte III, the last Emperor of France.

For 12 years, investigators assumed the priceless artifacts were lost forever. Then Gostelow called Hampshire Constabulary in February 2025 with an unusual lead.

He recognized a distinctive ball and crown motif in the corner of the frames. The detail had stuck in his mind from an episode of Lovejoy, the popular 90s show starring Ian McShane as an antiques dealer solving mysteries.

PC Mark Webb, a heritage crime specialist with the Country Watch Rural Crime Task Force, took the call. He worked with the International Stolen Arts Register to confirm Gostelow's hunch was correct.

Officers traveled to Derbyshire to recover the two plaques and returned them to St. Michael's Abbey for restoration. They're now back in their rightful place in the crypt.

Why This Inspires

This story shows how passion and expertise can solve problems that seem impossible. Gostelow didn't just know his craft; he cared enough to remember a small detail from a TV show he watched decades ago and act on it when it mattered.

The plaques themselves tell a moving story of loss and love. When Napoleon III's son died in the Zulu War in 1879, handwritten prayers were found in his wallet. His widow, Empress Eugenie, had them engraved and mounted to create these prayer frames as memorials to her husband and son.

Police are still searching for the third missing plaque. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Hampshire Constabulary.

After 12 years in the dark, two pieces of history are back where they belong, thanks to one man who paid attention.