A silver steward at the Élysée Palace was arrested after roughly 100 pieces of state silverware and tableware — valued at an estimated €15,000–€40,000 — were traced to online listings. The Sèvres Manufactory identified several items for sale, and investigators linked the steward to a partner who ran an online sales company. Recovered items, including Sèvres porcelain and Baccarat coupes, were returned to the palace. Three suspects have been charged with theft of national heritage property; their trial is set for Feb. 26.
Élysée Palace Steward Arrested After Hundreds of Silverware Items Found for Sale Online
FILE - Visitors view a table dressed with plates and glasses for official dinners at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. France's national buildings and administrations were opened to the public for Heritage Days weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
PARIS — A silver steward employed at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, was arrested this week after investigators linked dozens of missing pieces of state silverware and table service to online sales, the Paris prosecutor's office said.
The palace's head steward reported the disappearances, estimating the total loss at between €15,000 and €40,000 (about $17,500–$47,000). The Sèvres Manufactory — which supplied many of the presidential furnishings — recognized several of the missing items being offered on auction sites.
Investigation and Arrests
Questioning of Élysée staff led investigators to focus on one of the palace’s silver stewards after irregularities in his inventory records suggested possible planned thefts. Authorities determined the steward was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in online sales of objects, particularly tableware.
FILE - People queue to visit the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Saturday, Sept 21. 2019. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Investigators found items listed on the steward’s Vinted account, including a plate stamped "French Air Force" and ashtrays marked by the Sèvres Manufactory — pieces not available to the general public. Police recovered around 100 objects from the steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and the couple’s home.
Items Recovered
Recovered goods included copper saucepans, Sèvres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes. Investigators also identified a single recipient who had been receiving some of the stolen items. The recovered objects have been returned to the Élysée Palace.
Legal Action
The steward, his partner and a third suspect appeared in court Thursday charged with jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offense that can carry up to 10 years in prison and a €150,000 fine — and aggravated handling of stolen goods. Their trial was adjourned to Feb. 26.
The defendants were placed under judicial supervision and subject to several restrictions: they were ordered not to contact one another, forbidden from attending auction venues and barred from their professional activities related to the sale of tableware.
Context: The Sèvres Manufactory is a long-established producer of fine porcelain and has supplied state and presidential residences for generations, which makes the unauthorized sale of its items particularly sensitive.
