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.
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.
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.
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"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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