A MEMBER of the royal household was arrested after a vice admiral’s medal disappeared and appeared on eBay. The Companion of the Order of the Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, Tony Johnstone-Burt OBE was listed for £350. Engraved glasses, picture frames with Prince Harry’s insignia on, and handcrafted stationery were also […]
A MEMBER of the royal household was arrested after a vice admiral’s medal disappeared and appeared on eBay.
The Companion of the Order of the Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, Tony Johnstone-Burt OBE was listed for £350.
Engraved glasses, picture frames with Prince Harry’s insignia on, and handcrafted stationery were also said to have gone missing.
A 37-year-old hospitality assistant who has worked at the palace for six years was arrested last Friday on suspicion of stealing items from the royal household.
Police were informed when staff began noticing items were missing and the e-Bay listings were discovered during the investigation.
“It is not unusual for some things to go missing from inside the palace, but it was ‘astonishing’ for the Order of the Bath medal to be taken,” they said.
The member of staff regularly posts on social media about trips to Balmoral and Sandringham, Mail Online reports.
He also reportedly boasted of his invites to the weddings of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018, as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank that October.
His aunt was shocked to hear about the arrest.
“It is not like him at all. He is absolutely lovely. He has been working at the palace for six years. I don’t know exactly what he does there,” she told the Daily Mail.
The man has been bailed while under investigation.
Vice Admiral Johnstone-Burt, 62, was awarded the medal in 2013 and became Master of the Household to the Queen in the same year.
The Order of the Bath was founded in 1725. It has a civil division and a military division and is awarded in one of three ranks: Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander and Companion.
The vice admiral is responsible for 250 staff who cover catering, housekeeping, entertainment, maintenance and administration.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said that they couldn’t comment on a police investigation.
