The Louvre in Paris, the most visited museum in the world, was the site of a shocking robbery in broad daylight on Sunday. In a carefully planned heist that lasted only seven minutes, masked thieves stole priceless French crown jewels. This event shocked police and art lovers all over the world.
A Brave Robbery in the Middle of the Day
Around 9:30 a.m. local time on October 19, 2025, three to four masked thieves used a mechanical lift attached to a small truck to get to a first-floor window of the Apollo Gallery. It is where France’s royal jewels are on display. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez says that the robbers wore yellow and orange vests to look like construction workers. They used angle grinders and small chainsaws to break glass display cases. They took **nine historic items of “inestimable heritage value” in a matter of minutes.
The Crown of Empress Eugénie Was Found, But It Was Broken
One of the stolen items was Empress Eugénie’s crown, which had 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds set in it. Eugénie, who was married to Napoleon III, wore the ornate crown as a sign of imperial power. But in a surprising turn of events, French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati said that the crown was found later outside the museum. It had been badly damaged during the thieves’ escape.
The thieves also stole jewels from the Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily set, which included a tiara, necklace, and earrings. Additionally, they took an emerald necklace and earrings from Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma. They also took a reliquary brooch and Eugénie de Montijo’s big corsage bow brooch. One of the Louvre’s most famous pieces, the Regent Diamond, was not damaged, which is good.
A Job Done Right by a Professional
The surveillance footage showed that the thieves moved calmly and methodically. Breaking the display cases with surgical precision strongly suggested the robbery was planned ahead of time and done by professionals. The robbers used the fact that the building was still being worked on to get in through a Seine-side entrance. They got away on motorcycles toward the A6 autoroute. Later, investigators found two angle grinders, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, and a walkie-talkie. These were left behind at the scene, showing that the operation was planned and well-organized.
The Louvre’s Bad History with Art Theft
This isn’t the first time the Louvre has had things stolen. In 1911, an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia stole Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and hid it under his clothes. This is a famous case. The painting was missing for two years, and the theft ironically made it famous around the world.
The museum has lost other things over the years as well. Two pieces of armor from the 16th century were stolen in 1983 and were only found again in March 2021. In the same way, ancient jewelry was stolen while being returned from a U.S. exhibition in 1966.
Concerns about Infrastructure and Management Come Back
Also, the robbery happens at a time when the Louvre is already having problems inside. This year, Louvre President Laurence des Cars sent a urgent memo to Minister Dati. It was to warn her about the museum’s deteriorating infrastructure, which included water leaks, temperature changes, and crowded facilities. Des Cars said, “Going to the Louvre is a physical challenge; it takes time and isn’t always easy to get to the art.” By June 2025, museum workers even went on strike because there weren’t enough staff, the conditions were bad, and there were too many people.
Future Renovations and Ongoing Investigation
In January, President Emmanuel Macron said that the “Mona Lisa” would get its own room. This is part of a massive decade-long renovation plan to deal with these problems. The Louvre still draws huge crowds, with 8.7 million visitors in 2024. Among them, 13% are Americans.
In the meantime, French officials have started a large investigation. They are now looking at CCTV footage from the escape route and think the stolen jewels may have been targeted for a private collector. This means they may never be sold again.
The Louvre is still closed for now so that forensic teams can keep working. The police want to get the stolen items back and catch the people who did it as soon as possible.
