Royal staffer quizzed over Diana wedding gift

The gift disappeared days after Princess Diana's death in 1997

LONDON, England -- A member of the Royal staff has been arrested over the theft of a £1 million ($1.4 million) wedding gift given to Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

The man was was questioned about an ornament that vanished from the princess's apartment at Kensington Palace days after her death three years ago.

Scotland Yard confirmed it had arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with an alleged theft. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said a royal member of staff was co-operating with the police investigation.

The jewel-encrusted model ship was a gift from the Emir of Bahrain when the couple married in 1981. The gift vanished from Diana's former Kensington Palace residence just days after she was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997.

The man, who was bailed after his arrest on Tuesday, must return for further questioning at a date to be fixed, as must a 50-year-old arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "We understand that a member of staff is helping police with their inquiries. Anything further is a matter for the police."

A statement by Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London's police force, said: "Following receipt of information, the Metropolitan Police Service has launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the alleged disappearance of an artefact from a location in central London."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Princess Diana: A beautiful, tragic life cut short
August 31, 1997

Buckingham Palace
The Prince of Wales
Metropolitan Police

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