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ROYAL RAID

Crook steals treasures owned by Duchess of Cornwall’s great-gran in £127,000 castle raid

TREASURES belonging to the Duchess of Cornwall’s great-gran were stolen by a career criminal in a raid on a castle.

Clinton Bowen, 39, was in a gang that broke into Sudeley Castle, where Henry VIII’s sixth wife Catherine Parr is buried.

Clinton Bowen was in a gang that stole £127,000 worth of royal jewels
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Clinton Bowen was in a gang that stole £127,000 worth of royal jewels
The gang raided Sudeley castle in The Cotswolds
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The gang raided Sudeley castle in The CotswoldsCredit: Getty Images - Getty

They stole £127,000 in jewellery and artefacts which had been gifted by King Edward VII to his mistress Alice Keppel.

They included several gold snuff boxes worth up to £50,000 each, a £15,000 Cartier watch and a gold cigarette case.

Family silver, a Russian parcel-gilt preserve jar and two Russian silver spirit pots dating from 1890 were also taken.

Over a year later the loot has still not been recovered.

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall is Alice’s great granddaughter.

Bowen was identified from DNA on a snood he dropped in the grounds in Winchcombe, Gloucs.

The thieves stole £127,000 worth of Alice Keppel's artefacts 
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The thieves stole £127,000 worth of Alice Keppel's artefacts 
Over a year later the loot has still not been recovered
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Over a year later the loot has still not been recovered
Alice Keppel was a British society hostess and a long-time mistress and confidante of King Edward VII
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Alice Keppel was a British society hostess and a long-time mistress and confidante of King Edward VIICredit: Hulton Archive - Getty

Gloucester crown court heard the loot had not been recovered a year after the robbery.

Bowen, of Cheltenham, admitted burglary and was jailed for four years.

In 1997, he was named “Canal Boy” after a boat trip to try and steer him away from crime.

Judge Mark Horton said “This was an extraordinary serious burglary which was highly organised and targeted extremely expensive jewellery - some of which is priceless in its own context.

Alice Keppel died in Italy in 1947, aged 79
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Alice Keppel died in Italy in 1947, aged 79
She is the great grandmother of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall
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She is the great grandmother of Camilla, the Duchess of CornwallCredit: Splash News
Sudeley Castle is where Henry VIII’s sixth wife Catherine Parr is buried
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Sudeley Castle is where Henry VIII’s sixth wife Catherine Parr is buriedCredit: Getty Images - Getty

"This burglary was committed with a good degree of planning and a vehicle was used to assist the getaway.

"You were also part of a group that carried out the burglary.”

Alice Keppel was a British society hostess and a long-time mistress and confidante of King Edward VII. She died in Italy in 1947, aged 79.

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