‘Professional’ Thieves Steal Priceless Napoleonic Jewels From Louvre’s Crown Gallery in 7-Minute Daylight Raid

In a daring and meticulously planned operation, a team of masked thieves successfully executed a daylight robbery at the world-famous Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, making off with eight pieces of the priceless French Crown Jewels collection.

The audacious heist, which occurred shortly after the museum opened its doors around 9:30 a.m., targeted the heavily secured Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery). French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that the entire strike, carried out by three or four perpetrators, took only four to seven minutes.

The thieves, who reportedly disguised themselves in construction attire, exploited ongoing renovation work on the museum’s exterior. They used a large basket lift attached to a truck to reach an upper-floor window on the Seine-facing facade. Once inside, they employed power tools to smash the high-security display cases and quickly grab the treasures.

The stolen items, described by the Ministry of Culture as having “inestimable heritage and historical value,” are primarily jewels from the Napoleon and Empress collection. These include a sapphire tiara, necklace, and earrings from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense set, as well as an emerald necklace and earrings that belonged to Empress Marie-Louise.

In their haste to escape on motorbikes, the criminals dropped one of the stolen items the Crown of Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III) which was later recovered near the museum, albeit reportedly damaged. The Louvre’s most famous jewel, the Regent Diamond, was untouched.

The Louvre was immediately closed for the day as police sealed off the area and launched a massive manhunt. The incident has sparked a national debate over the vulnerability of France’s top cultural institutions, with Interior Minister Nuñez describing the act as a “major robbery” carried out by a “very experienced team who had clearly scouted the location.”