Four men were charged Monday with the theft four years ago of a gold toilet by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace, a castle in southern England declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The work “America” consists of a cup with seat and a cistern made of 18 carat gold with the appropriate sanitary installation for its operation. Its value is 4.8 million pounds ($5.9 million).

The object was part of an exhibition dedicated to Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in September 2019 at Blenheim Palace, an 18th-century castle where former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born.

A solid gold toilet worth about $5 million was stolen from a British palace

The four defendants, aged between 35 and 39, will appear in court in Oxford on November 28, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

James Sheen, 39, was charged with theft, conspiracy to transfer stolen property and transfer of stolen property.

Michael Jones, 38, was charged with theft, while Fred Doe, 35, and Bora Guccik, 39, were charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property.

British police said at the time, on September 14, that thieves had entered the palace at night and left with the toilet early in the morning after ripping it out of the pipes, causing extensive damage and flooding.

The golden toilet could be used privately by visitors, but for no longer than three minutes to avoid long queues.

More than 100,000 people used it during the year it was on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, between 2016 and 2017. (JO)