Suspects appear in court charged over theft of Edward VII’s £3.5million diamond-encrusted Cartier that was stolen from Nottingham gallery
- Twelve men and a woman aged appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court
- Defendants had been bailed conditionally to appear at court on November 19
- They were charged with various offences in connection with alleged conspiracy
Suspects have appeared in court charged in connection with the theft of a £3.5million Cartier tiara worn to the coronation of Edward VII.
On Thursday, twelve men and a woman aged between 21 and 49, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.
The suspects, all from Nottinghamshire, London and Birmingham, were charged with various offences in connection with the alleged conspiracy.
On Thursday, twelve men and a woman aged between 21 and 49, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court (suspects pictured during the robbery)
The police said the defendants had been bailed conditionally to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on November 19.
The Portland Tiara was stolen during a break-in at an art gallery on The Welbeck Estate in Sherwood Forest, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in November 2018.
A diamond brooch, which had been alongside the tiara inside an armoured glass display case, was also taken during the burglary at the Harley Gallery.
The 6th Duke of Portland commissioned Cartier to create the Portland Tiara, described as a ‘national treasure’, for his wife, Winifred, Duchess of Portland.
The Portland tiara, pictured, was taken in the raid. It is considered one of the ‘great historic tiaras of Great Britain’
She wore the diamond-encrusted headpiece, whose centrepiece is the Portland Diamond, to the coronation of King Edward, the Queen’s great-grandfather in 1902.
The Duchess was one of four pall-bearers at Queen Alexandra’s anointing.
Among the items stolen from the Welbeck Estate was this diamond brooch
The centre-piece of the tiara is the Portland Diamond, which dates from the 19th century.
It is flanked by two diamond drops and other pendant diamonds, all set in gold and silver.
The brooch is composed of diamond clusters that previously stood at the apex of the tiara.
These gems can be seen on the tiara in a painting of Duchess Winifred at the anointing of Queen Alexandra.
Security footage of the burglary captured the gang using power tools and metal bars to break their way into the Portland Collection Gallery.
Sparks can be seen flying as they cut their way into the premises before fleeing the scene in a silver Audi RS5 Quattro having also snatched a diamond brooch.
Nottinghamshire Police today released the footage and an image of the car, with the registration KY61 USJ, in a bid to track down the suspects.