Jewellery worth an estimated €88 million has been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in one of the most daring daylight robberies in recent history.
According to French authorities, four masked thieves used a truck equipped with a mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon — home to France’s crown jewels — early on Sunday morning. Armed with battery-powered cutting tools, the gang sliced through reinforced glass cases and escaped with eight historic pieces in under eight minutes.
Among the stolen treasures were a diamond and emerald necklace gifted by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to Empress Marie-Louise, a diamond tiara once worn by Empress Eugénie, and several pieces belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie. The items, considered priceless symbols of France’s imperial heritage, had been on public display for decades.
In their hurried escape, the thieves dropped a damaged crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, which investigators later recovered near the museum. Witnesses reported seeing the robbers flee on scooters after abandoning their truck outside the museum.
Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the estimated value of the heist at €88 million, describing it as “extraordinary,” but added that “the greater loss is to France’s cultural and historical legacy.”
The Louvre’s security systems have come under heavy criticism after reports revealed that one in three museum rooms lacked CCTV coverage and that alarms failed to trigger properly during the robbery. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the theft as an “attack on France’s heritage,” while Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called the incident a “security failure of the highest order.”
Experts believe the gang was highly professional, operating with military-like precision. Investigators fear the jewels may already have been dismantled or smuggled abroad, drastically reducing the chance of recovery.
The Louvre remains temporarily closed as police conduct forensic searches and review its security protocols. Lawmakers have summoned the museum’s director to answer questions before a parliamentary committee.
Authorities continue to pursue leads across France and neighboring countries, but so far, no arrests have been made and the stolen jewels remain missing.
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