On Sunday morning in Paris, four thieves pulled off a swift, highly choreographed raid inside the Louvre, igniting a nationwide hunt and uncomfortable questions about security at one of the world’s most visited museums. Working in under 10 minutes, they targeted the second-floor Apollo Gallery — home to France’s crown jewels — and vanished before most visitors grasped what had happened, the Wall Street Journal reported.
How the heist unfolded
Authorities say the operation began around 9:30 a.m. when a truck carrying an electric ladder parked at a southern corner of the museum. Two masked men in yellow safety vests rode the lift to a window near the Apollo Gallery and, at 9:34 a.m., used power tools to break in. Though they did not appear to be armed, they threatened five nearby security guards, who then evacuated visitors. The pair sliced into two display cases, grabbed select pieces, escaped back through the shattered window, tried to burn the ladder’s bucket and fled on motorcycles. By 9:38 a.m., they were gone.
What was taken — and what was dropped
The thieves stole eight historic jewels: a royal sapphire tiara, necklace and matching earring; a royal emerald necklace with matching earrings; and a tiara and brooch worn by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. In their rush, they dropped a ninth item — Empress Eugénie’s crown — later recovered by authorities. That crown alone features 1,354 diamonds, 1,136 rose-cut diamonds and 56 emeralds. Officials have not provided an overall valuation, but one stolen decorative bow with jewelled tassels linked to Empress Eugénie has previously been listed by the Society of Friends of the Louvre at €6.72 million.
Why the Louvre is closed
The museum remained closed on Monday “following yesterday’s robbery” while leadership met with staff; ticket holders will be refunded. Most forensic work inside the gallery wrapped Sunday night. The Louvre will also be closed Tuesday, its normal dark day, extending the shutdown as management assesses damage and next steps.
Security systems under scrutiny
The Culture Ministry said two alarms — one on the window and another on the display cases — did sound, and guards followed protocol by prioritizing visitor safety and alerting police. Investigators are examining how the alarm systems functioned in real time. The heist lands as President Emmanuel Macron has already announced a renovation and expansion of the Louvre, including moving the Mona Lisa and rolling out a new security framework with upgraded cameras and a command post, though it’s unclear how far along those upgrades are.
A race against time to recover the jewels
French officials fear the pieces could be broken apart, with stones fenced on the black market and metals melted down, erasing their historical identity. Sixty investigators are reviewing security footage from inside the museum and surrounding streets, interviewing witnesses and following multiple leads. Prosecutors say organized crime is the most likely culprit but are not ruling out other scenarios, including a private collector’s order.
Political response and public mood
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin likened the national reaction to the grief felt when Notre-Dame burned, calling the theft a failure to protect cultural heritage. Under political pressure over broader crises, Mr. Macron vowed the thieves would be caught. The interior and culture ministers convened a crisis meeting, and Louvre director Laurence des Cars is expected to testify before the French Senate on Wednesday.
A wider pattern of museum thefts
The Louvre raid caps a troubling run: in September, thieves used a blowtorch to steal roughly $700,000 in raw gold from Paris’s National Museum of Natural History; that same month, porcelain worth about €9.5 million vanished from the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges; and in 2024, elaborate snuff boxes were taken from Paris’s Cognacq-Jay Museum. Officials now plan nationwide checks to strengthen security at cultural sites where needed.
What happens next
The Louvre, which drew about 8.7 million visitors last year — nearly 80 percent from abroad — now faces a dual test: recovering the jewels before they are dismantled and restoring public confidence that its galleries are secure. For now, the Apollo Gallery stands as a crime scene — and a stark reminder that even the most iconic institutions can be vulnerable to speed, planning and audacity.
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