Gold Toilet Stolen From Blenheim Palace, Birthplace of Winston Churchill

An 18-karat gold toilet with a reported value of £1 million ($1.25m) was stolen from the ancestral home of the Churchill family, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, early on Saturday, September 14, officials said.

The theft of the artwork, designed by Italian Maurizio Cattelan and entitled ‘America’, was confirmed by Thames Valley Police and Blenheim Palace. The artwork, originally designed for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, where it was displayed in 2016, had been installed on Thursday as part of an exhibition at the stately home, and was due to be on display until October 27.

Visitors were invited to use the toilet, which was functional, as this video shows.

In a statement, Blenheim Palace officials said they were “saddened by this extraordinary event,” but were relieved no one was hurt. They also appealed for anyone with information for help recovering the artwork.

Speaking in August ahead of its installation, founder of the Blenheim Art Foundation Edward Spencer-Churchill was relaxed about security, reportedly saying: "It’s not going to be the easiest thing to nick.” Credit: Tim Hughes, The Oxford Times via Storyful