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See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre
It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
Empress Eugénie’s pearl and diamond tiara was one of eight crown jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday. As of press time, police in France were still searching for the perpetrators and the jewels. (© 2015 RMN-Grand Palais (Musée du Louvre), Stéphane Maréchalle)
Paris—Police in France continue to investigate a crime that has shook the country to its core—the theft of more than a half-dozen crown jewels from the famous Louvre Museum carried out in broad daylight.
Described as “rapid and brutal” in an official statement from France’s Ministry of Culture, the heist, which reportedly took less than 10 minutes, happened Sunday around 9:30 a.m. Paris time.
The thieves used a monte-meubles (a truck with a hydraulic lift most often used to move furniture) parked outside to hoist themselves to the second floor, they then used power tools to cut through a window and climb into the Apollo Gallery.
The gallery houses the Royal Collection of Gems and the Crown Diamonds.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the masked thieves went after two “high-security” display cases and made off with a total of eight jewels described as “priceless heritage objects.”
Described as “rapid and brutal” in an official statement from France’s Ministry of Culture, the heist, which reportedly took less than 10 minutes, happened Sunday around 9:30 a.m. Paris time.
The thieves used a monte-meubles (a truck with a hydraulic lift most often used to move furniture) parked outside to hoist themselves to the second floor, they then used power tools to cut through a window and climb into the Apollo Gallery.
The gallery houses the Royal Collection of Gems and the Crown Diamonds.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the masked thieves went after two “high-security” display cases and made off with a total of eight jewels described as “priceless heritage objects.”
The thieves stole pieces from a suite of sapphire and diamond jewelry worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, including (from left to the right), a tiara, a necklace, and one of the earrings in this pair. (Photo courtesy of Musée du Louvre, Photo credit: Mathieu Rabeau)
Marie-Louise’s emerald necklace and matching earrings were stolen in the heist. (© RMN - Grand Palais (Musée du Louvre), Jean-Gilles Berizzi)
The robbers also stole a large bow-shaped brooch as well as a reliquary brooch that belonged to Empress Eugénie, both set with diamonds. Reliquary brooches typically are set with religious relics, though it is unclear if this brooch ever contained one. (Photo courtesy of Musée du Louvre, Photo credit: Stéphane Maréchalle)
They are:
— A tiara worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense;
— A necklace from a set of sapphire jewelry worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense;
— One earring in a pair from Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense’s sapphire suite;
— An emerald necklace worn by Marie-Louise, who was Napoleon I’s second wife;
— A pair of emerald earrings worn by Marie-Louise;
— A reliquary brooch that belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, known as Louis Napoleon Bonaparte;
— Empress Eugénie’s tiara; and
— A large bow-shaped brooch worn by Empress Eugénie.
As they were running out, the perpetrators left behind their equipment and one jewel—Empress Eugénie’s crown—before fleeing on motorbikes.
Empress Eugenie’s gold, diamond, and emerald crown was snatched from its display case but then left behind by the robbers as they fled the Louvre on Sunday. France’s Ministry of Culture said it is currently assessing the crown’s condition. (Photo ©RMN-Grand Palais (Musée du Louvre), Stéphane Maréchalle)
The ministry said the thieves triggered the alarms on the gallery’s exterior windows and on the two display cases, prompting the five museum officers who were present to do what they were trained to do—call police and evacuate visitors from the area.
There were no injuries to either staff or the public.
The ministry said one of the burglars tried to set the truck used in the break-in on fire, but a Louvre security officer stopped them, and the perpetrator fled along with the others.
France’s Brigade for the Suppression of Banditry is handling the investigation into the heist.
There were no updates in the case as of press time Monday.
“The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history,” French President Emmanuel Macron posted Sunday on X.
“We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office.”
In her office’s statement, France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati pointed out that the “Louvre - Nouvelle Renaissance,” the renovation and modernization project for the museum that Macron announced in January, includes a new master security plan.
It calls for the installation of new-generation cameras, perimeter detection, and new security headquarters for the Louvre, arguably the most famous museum in the world.
The museum remained closed on Monday and visitors who had tickets will be refunded, according to a message shared to Stories on the Louvre’s official Instagram account.
The Louvre will remain closed on Tuesday, the one day of the week it is not open.
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