The stunning daylight robbery at Paris’s Louvre museum has left authorities and historians reeling, as thieves escaped with royal jewellery worth around €88 million ($102 million).
The heist, executed in just four minutes, has raised fears that France’s priceless cultural artefacts may be lost forever.
Louvre reopens but Apollo Gallery remains closed
The Louvre reopened to the public on Wednesday, marking the first time since the dramatic Sunday morning theft. However, the Apollo Gallery, where the heist occurred, remains sealed off for investigation.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, four robbers split into pairs, two scaling the gallery using an extendable ladder from a parked truck, and two fleeing on motorbikes. They entered at 9:34 am and exited just four minutes later.
Jewels stolen from France’s royal heritage
Authorities confirmed that eight pieces were stolen – each symbolising centuries of royal history and craftsmanship:
- Two crowns (diadems) – one gifted to Empress Eugenie by Napoleon III, adorned with 200 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds; another sapphire-and-diamond headpiece.
- Necklace and single earring worn by Queen Marie-Amelie.
- Emerald and diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to Marie-Louise of Austria in 1810.
- Matching emerald earrings belonging to the same set.
- Diamond-encrusted reliquary brooch and large bodice bow worn by Empress Eugenie.
A ninth item – a crown with gold eagles, 1,354 diamonds, and 56 emeralds, was left behind but found damaged.
Experts warn recovery may be impossible
Jewellery experts believe the stolen pieces are likely being dismantled and sold off as individual gems, making recovery nearly impossible.
Tobias Kormind of 77 Diamonds said, “It is extremely unlikely these jewels will ever be retrieved. If broken up and sold, they will vanish from history forever.”Conservative lawmaker Maxime Michelet called the theft a national tragedy, lamenting that “family souvenirs have been taken from the French,” and warning that the damaged crown now symbolizes “the decline of a nation once so admired.”
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