Burglars stole an 18-karat solid gold working toilet overnight Saturday at Britain's Blenheim Palace, the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill, according to local police.

The working toilet was part of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan that opened on Thursday.

“The piece of art that has been stolen is a high value toilet made out of gold that was on display at the palace," said Thames Valley Detective Inspector Jess Milne.

He said the theft caused "significant damage and flooding" because the toilet had been connected to the palace plumbing system.

Police said a 66-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident.

Milne said police believe the thieves used at least two vehicles to make off with the golden throne.

**OFFICIAL STATEMENT**



Following the Thames Valley Police statement we can confirm ‘America’, the art piece by Maurizio Cattelan has been stolen in the early hours of this morning.



We are saddened by this extraordinary event, but also relieved no-one was hurt.







— Blenheim Palace (@BlenheimPalace) September 14, 2019

Blenheim Palace, in a tweet, initially said only that an "unforeseen incident" overnight had prompted them to close the palace for the day. They later confirmed the theft, saying they were "saddened" by the event.

The country house, built in Oxfordshire, England, in the early 1700s, is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough.

In this file photo taken on Sept. 15, 2016, a fully functioning solid gold toilet, made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, went into public use at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Thieves stole the 18-karat gold toilet from an exhibition of artworks at Britain's Blenheim Palace, police said Saturday, causing significant flooding.

The toilet was to be open for public use during a seven-week exhibition, from Sept. 12 to Oct. 27, but with a three-minute time limit to reduce long lines, the Evening Standard said. It was was expected to be used by some 6,000 people.

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In 2016, the toilet was on display at New York's Guggenheim Museum where it was reportedly used by 100,000 people.

The Duke of Marlborough’s half-brother and founder of the Blenheim Art Foundation, Edward Spencer-Churchill, spoke to the Times of London in anticipation of the exhibition.

"Despite being born with a silver spoon in my mouth I have never had a s*** on a golden toilet, so I look forward to it,” he told the newspaper.

Spencer-Churchill said at the time that he was relaxed about security and did not plan to guard it.

“It’s not going to be the easiest thing to nick,” Spencer-Churchill said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gold toilet stolen from Churchill's birthplace Blenheim Palace