Video: Louvre Remains Closed Day After Brazen Jewel Heist
The Louvre Museum in Paris remained closed on Monday after thieves stole priceless jewels in a brazen heist that lasted less than 10 minutes and shocked the country. (Credit: Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
Police in France are in a desperate race against time, searching for four thieves who executed a daring daylight heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris. With every passing hour, the chances of recovering the stolen treasures diminish.
The audacious robbery on Sunday has sent shockwaves through France, sparking uncomfortable questions about the security measures at one of the world’s most celebrated cultural institutions, which remained closed to the public on Monday.
A major concern is that the thieves, disregarding the historical significance of the jewels, might dismantle the pieces. Their aim could be to sell individual stones on the black market or melt down precious metals for quick profit.
Gérald Darmanin, France’s justice minister, expressed the nation’s collective sentiment on France Inter radio: “This morning, the French people, for the most part, feel as though they have been robbed. In the same way that when Notre-Dame burned, it was our church that was burning — even if you weren’t Catholic — such an incredible jewelry robbery at the Louvre looks bad.”
He candidly admitted, “We cannot completely secure all locations. But what is certain is that we have failed.”
President Emmanuel Macron, already grappling with political turmoil and economic woes, has vowed that the culprits will be apprehended. The French interior and culture ministers convened a crisis meeting on Monday, highlighting the gravity with which the government views the incident.
Here’s what we know about the robbery and the ongoing search for those responsible.
How did the heist happen?
Officials report that the robbery unfolded at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Four thieves arrived at a southern corner of the Louvre with a truck equipped with an electric ladder. Two of them used the ladder to ascend to the museum’s second-floor Apollo Gallery, home to France’s historic collection of crown jewels.
Police officers were seen searching for clues on Sunday. The thieves had smashed two display cases and grabbed jewels before exiting through a broken window. (Credit: Thibault Camus/Associated Press)
Operating just 30 minutes after the Louvre opened, the two masked intruders used power tools to breach a window at 9:34 a.m.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that the thieves who entered the gallery appeared unarmed but intimidated five nearby security guards. The guards swiftly evacuated visitors from the area.
Ms. Beccuau told the BFMTV channel on Sunday evening that the thieves smashed two display cases, seized several jewels, and then quickly exited through the broken window. They attempted to set fire to the ladder’s basket before fleeing on motorcycles.
What did the robbers steal?
The thieves made off with eight priceless pieces of jewelry. This haul included a royal sapphire tiara, a matching necklace and earrings; a royal emerald necklace with its corresponding earrings; and a tiara and brooch once worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, France’s 19th-century emperor.
However, a ninth item, Empress Eugénie’s crown, was dropped and later recovered by authorities. This magnificent piece features 1,354 diamonds, 1,136 rose-cut diamonds, and 56 emeralds.
A decorative bow with jeweled tassels that belonged to Empress Eugénie, photographed here in 2020, was among the items stolen on Sunday. (Credit: Francois Guillot/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
“It is a tragedy because the room is amazing, the jewels themselves are mesmerizing,” commented Gerard Hyslop, 55, a guide who had to reschedule a Louvre tour on Monday. “Unless they are retrieved, it will be a big loss for French culture.”
Officials have not yet released an overall estimated value for the stolen items.
One of the pieces, a jeweled decorative bow with tassels, also owned by Empress Eugénie, is listed by the Society of Friends of the Louvre as being worth 6.72 million euros, or about 7.8 million dollars. This private sponsor, which assists the museum in acquiring art and historical objects, helped secure the bow from the United States in 2008.
Why is the Louvre still closed?
The museum announced on Monday that it would remain closed “following yesterday’s robbery” and assured visitors with pre-booked tickets that they would receive refunds.
The exact reason for the continued closure was not immediately clear. The Paris prosecutor indicated on Sunday evening that most forensic work at the crime scene had been completed. The museum did not respond to requests for comment.
The window through which jewelry thieves entered the Louvre Museum in Paris, as seen on Monday. (Credit: Emma Da Silva/Associated Press)
The Louvre will remain closed for another day, as it is typically closed on Tuesdays anyway.
Once a royal palace, the Louvre was transformed into a museum after the French Revolution. It welcomes thousands of tourists daily and houses over 33,000 works of art.
Last year, the museum attracted approximately 8.7 million visitors, with nearly 80 percent coming from outside France. Concerns regarding overcrowding and its aging infrastructure led Mr. Macron to announce plans to renovate and expand the Louvre. These plans include relocating the Mona Lisa, the museum’s most famous masterpiece, to a dedicated exhibition space.
What security systems does the museum have?
Politicians swiftly criticized the French government for its failure to safeguard such vital heritage from a daytime robbery.
The Ministry of Culture confirmed that two alarms – one on the window and another on the display cases – were triggered. Security guards reportedly followed standard protocol by prioritizing visitor safety and contacting law enforcement. No one was harmed during the incident.
The renovation announced by Mr. Macron in January was already slated to incorporate “a new security framework that is beginning to be rolled out.” This includes the deployment of new cameras and a new command post, though the progress of these initiatives remains unconfirmed.
Are there any leads?
When questioned about potential leads, Prosecutor Ms. Beccuau stated that “anything is possible,” and investigators are not dismissing any hypotheses, including foreign involvement. However, she believes organized crime is the most probable culprit.
The swiftness of the heist points to experienced thieves, she noted. Yet, it remains uncertain who they might be working for or what their ultimate plan for the stolen jewels is.
A private collector could have commissioned the theft, she speculated. Alternatively, criminals might dismantle the jewelry to sell or reuse the precious stones, pearls, and metals.
Ms. Beccuau revealed that at least one of the thieves was wearing a yellow workman’s vest, which is currently being analyzed by police. She also confirmed that 60 investigators are questioning witnesses, meticulously examining forensic evidence, and reviewing surveillance footage from both inside and outside the museum.
“We are absolutely determined,” she affirmed.
Have other museums been targeted lately?
Yes. In September, thieves used a blowtorch and power tools to steal raw gold nuggets valued at approximately $700,000 from the National Museum of Natural History, located just a few subway stops from the Louvre in Paris.
That same month, two porcelain dishes and a vase, collectively worth about €9.5 million (around $11 million), were stolen from the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges, France. And in 2024, thieves stole elaborate snuff boxes from the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris.
“For 40 years, no attention was paid to securing these major museums,” Rachida Dati, France’s culture minister, acknowledged on TF1 television on Sunday. “We need to adapt these museums to new forms of criminality.”
Following Monday’s crisis meeting, the interior ministry announced that directives would be issued nationwide to “immediately assess the security measures already in place around cultural establishments and to strengthen them where necessary.”
Catherine Porter and Daphné Anglès contributed reporting.