PARIS, FRANCE – A daring heist at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning resulted in the theft of crown jewels valued at an estimated €88 million, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday. The theft ranks among the largest museum heists in recent memory.
The stolen artifacts include a pearl tiara and corsage bow brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, an emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, and a sapphire tiara, necklace, and earrings once owned by 19th-century French queens Marie Amélie and Hortense. A reliquary brooch was also taken, and Empress Eugénie’s crown was found damaged along the escape route.
Prosecutor Laura Bakou stated that over 100 investigators are currently working to identify the culprits behind the brazen daylight theft. The heist occurred in the Louvre’s Gilded Apollo Gallery, which has housed the French crown jewels since 1887.
The thieves executed the robbery in just seven minutes, spending less than four minutes inside the museum. Although the alarm system was triggered when a window was forced open, security personnel arrived too late to apprehend the suspects.
Jewel thefts from museums are relatively rare compared to paintings, which are more frequently targeted. The Louvre, renowned as the world’s most visited museum, attracted 8.7 million visitors last year.
The French Interior Minister has warned the thieves against attempting to dismantle and sell the jewels piecemeal, emphasizing the cultural significance of the artifacts. Bakou expressed hope that the thieves would reconsider any plans to destroy the jewels, stating it would be an ill-advised move.