The Louvre crown jewels theft: What really happened in Paris?

On October 19, Paris witnessed one of the most daring museum robberies in recent history. Four masked men carried out a meticulously planned heist at the Louvre Museum, stealing eight royal jewels from the Galerie d’Apollon in less than four minutes.

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It sounds like the plot of a movie: a group of professionals bypassing world-class security systems, blinding cameras, and vanishing before the police could arrive. But this was no fiction. It happened at the most visited museum on Earth.

Who do you have to be to pull off the heist of the decade – and who allowed it to happen?

What is known so far?

It was a quiet Sunday morning on October 19. A white truck fitted with a mechanical lift pulled up near the River Seine, just outside the Louvre. Four masked men climbed the lift to a first-floor balcony of the Galerie d’Apollon – home to France’s Crown Jewels.

Using power tools and an angle grinder, two of them cut through a window and slipped inside. The men threatened the security guards, who quickly evacuated visitors from the area. Within moments, the thieves smashed two display cases and seized eight priceless jewels.

As alarms rang throughout the gallery, the robbers made their escape on two waiting scooters. The entire operation lasted no more than four minutes.

Among the stolen treasures

• A tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III
• An emerald necklace and earrings of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s second wife
• A sapphire tiara, necklace, and single earring once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
• A rare reliquary brooch
• One damaged crown, believed to be Empress Eugénie’s, was later found abandoned near the museum, apparently dropped during the escape

The investigation

The Galerie d’Apollon, built in 1661 under Louis XIV, is among the Louvre’s most celebrated halls. Its gilded ceiling inspired the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. Yet, investigators revealed shocking security lapses: one in three rooms in the gallery reportedly lacked CCTV coverage, and a key alarm system was out of order.

French Senator Nathalie Goulet called the incident “a painful and embarrassing episode,” questioning how such a theft could have happened so easily.

The Louvre was temporarily closed as more than 60 investigators began their search. Officials believe the robbers acted under orders from a sophisticated criminal network. Culture Minister Rachida Dati said security footage showed the thieves moving “calmly, confidently, like professionals.”

President Emmanuel Macron described the robbery as “an attack on our history,” while opposition figures called it “a humiliation” and “a wound to the French soul.” Experts fear the jewels may already have been dismantled or melted down to erase their identity. According to Art Recovery International, such priceless artifacts are rarely recovered intact.

A familiar story

This is not the first time the Louvre has fallen victim to theft. In 1911, an Italian worker famously stole the Mona Lisa, hiding it under his coat. More than a century later, history seems to have repeated itself.

The Louvre remains closed as the investigation continues. Eight royal treasures, gone in four minutes. It sounds like the plot of a film – but this time, it’s real, and the ending has yet to be written.