Thieves disguised as workers scaled the facade of the Louvre Museum using a truck-mounted ladder, smashed through display cases and fled with eight pieces of France’s historic crown jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) in a brazen Sunday morning robbery that stunned the nation and prompted a massive police manhunt.
The heist, which unfolded in less than seven minutes at the world’s most-visited museum, marked the first theft from the Louvre since 1998 and has ignited a firestorm of criticism over security lapses at the iconic institution. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to recover the items, calling the theft “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our History.”
How the Robbery Unfolded
The robbery began around 9:30 a.m. local time on Oct. 19, just half an hour after the Louvre opened its doors to visitors. Two suspects, wearing high-visibility vests and balaclavas to blend in as maintenance workers, rode an electric ladder — known in France as a “monte-meuble” — up to a second-floor balcony on the museum’s south side overlooking the Seine River.
They used a disc cutter to force open a window in the gilded Apollo Gallery, triggering alarms, then threatened security guards with power tools before smashing two glass cases. The thieves grabbed the jewels and descended the ladder to two accomplices waiting on motor scooters, speeding away along the riverbank toward the city’s southern outskirts. Before fleeing, they attempted to set fire to the ladder’s basket but were thwarted by a museum employee.
No one was injured in the operation, which authorities described as “very professional” with no violence involved. Police arrived within minutes after a witness called, but the suspects had already vanished.
What Was Stolen
The stolen items, part of the French Crown Jewels collection housed in the Apollo Gallery, include historic pieces linked to France’s royal and imperial past. Among them: a sapphire diadem, necklace and earring from a set associated with 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and matching earrings belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife; a reliquary brooch; and Empress Eugénie’s diadem and large corsage-bow brooch.
In their escape, the thieves dropped the Crown of Empress Eugénie — adorned with 1,354 diamonds, 1,136 rose-cut diamonds and 56 emeralds — which was later found damaged on the street, along with another jeweled item. The Regent Diamond, the collection’s most valuable gem at over $60 million, was left untouched.
While the estimated market value is $102 million, officials stressed the jewels’ “incalculable” historical significance to France. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau warned that disassembling the pieces would drastically reduce their worth, expressing hope the thieves would not destroy them.
Investigation and Aftermath
About 100 investigators are on the case, reviewing CCTV footage along the escape route and analyzing abandoned tools including angle grinders, a blowtorch, gasoline and gloves. The stolen jewels have been added to Interpol’s database of stolen works of art to aid in their recovery. As of Tuesday, the four suspects remain at large.
The Louvre was evacuated immediately after the theft and remained closed Monday for “exceptional reasons,” with all reservations reimbursed. Museum director Laurence des Cars has been summoned by French lawmakers amid an ongoing probe into security failures.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati defended the museum’s security systems, insisting they “did not fail” and that cameras were operational, though she launched an administrative inquiry for transparency. However, unions and critics pointed to chronic understaffing and ignored security audits, with the incident sparking a broader review of protections at French museums.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a “major robbery” that tarnishes France’s image, while opposition politicians labeled it a symbol of government failure. The heist comes amid a wave of thefts from French cultural sites in recent years, heightening concerns over heritage protection.
