In a dramatic and swift robbery, eight priceless French crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday, officials confirmed. The theft, carried out in just seven minutes, forced the closure of the world’s most-visited museum, home to iconic works like the Mona Lisa.
A statement from France’s Culture Ministry confirmed that the stolen items included the emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gifted to his wife, Empress Marie Louise, and the 19th-century crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III. Additionally, thieves made off with a necklace from the sapphire collection of Queen Marie Amelie and Queen Hortense, along with a pair of emerald earrings once belonging to Marie Louise. Notably, Eugenie’s crown was recovered after the robbers dropped it while fleeing.
According to Paris authorities, a team of four thieves used angle grinders to break into high-security display cases in the Apollo Gallery. The robbers reportedly arrived on scooters between 9:30 and 9:40 am local time, shortly after the museum opened, and used a powered, extendable furniture hoist to reach the gallery. A witness reported the break-in took less than 30 seconds.
Paris police have deployed 60 investigators to recover the treasures, with soldiers patrolling the Louvre’s famous glass pyramid. The audacious heist occurred just 800 metres from Paris police headquarters, prompting urgent criticism from French political leaders. Far-right National Rally chief Jordan Bardella called it “an unbearable humiliation,” while Republicans’ Laurent Wauquiez stressed the need to protect France’s historical heritage.
The Louvre, formerly a royal palace before Louis XIV moved to Versailles, welcomed nine million visitors last year. While thefts from the museum are rare, recent months have seen similar incidents at other French museums, including the Natural History Museum in Paris and a museum in Limoges, highlighting vulnerabilities in cultural security.
President Emmanuel Macron vowed that “everything is being done” to catch the perpetrators and recover the stolen jewels. The heist has intensified discussions on museum security, with Macron previously pledging a redesign of the Louvre to reinforce its protections after concerns were raised by its director.
As investigations continue, France reels from the audacity of the robbery, which has captured global attention and left a stark reminder of the value and vulnerability of its historic treasures.
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