French authorities have launched an extensive investigation after a brazen daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum, where a team of masked thieves escaped with nine priceless jewels tied to Napoleon Bonaparte and his imperial family.
The heist occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the museum’s famed Apollo Gallery, just as the Louvre opened to visitors. The intruders—arriving by scooters and armed with cutting tools—smashed their way through glass cases containing royal artifacts, including necklaces, brooches, and tiaras from the French crown jewels collection, according to The Telegraph.
Officials said the group entered from the Seine River side using a van with an extendable ladder near a construction zone. They broke through a window, shattered display cases, and fled within minutes, abandoning their vehicle nearby.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a “major robbery by a team that had done scouting,” adding that the stolen jewels were “priceless.” He noted the entire operation lasted just “seven minutes.”
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said four people were involved, at least one wearing a high-visibility vest. Two arrived in a gray Mitsubishi van while the others followed on scooters. Though alarms activated properly, the thieves reportedly used angle grinders to intimidate guards and access the display cases before escaping.
At the scene, investigators recovered gloves, a blowtorch, blankets, and the yellow vest—tools of what police described as a “highly organized” hit. Surveillance footage aired by BFMTV showed one masked suspect in a reflective vest slicing through a cabinet with a grinder.
The Apollo Gallery, housed in the Denon Wing beneath a ceiling painted for Louis XIV, showcases a glittering array of the French crown jewels. Renovated and reopened in 2020, it contains 23 of the museum’s most treasured gems grouped by historical era—from pre-Revolution to the Second Empire.
Among the stolen pieces were a sapphire tiara, earrings, and necklace once owned by Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald set gifted to Empress Marie-Louise on her wedding day to Napoleon; and a diamond bow brooch purchased in 2008 for £5.8 million from a U.S. collector. The Eugénie Crown—studded with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds—was also taken, though reportedly dropped and damaged during the escape, according to Le Parisien.
Nuñez said the possibility of “international involvement” could not be ruled out, and confirmed a formal probe for theft and organized criminal conspiracy was underway.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati said experts are now assessing the financial toll of the loss. “Organised crime is now targeting art objects, and museums have become targets,” she warned. “We must adapt these museums to these new forms of crime. They are professionals.”
The Louvre was evacuated and closed for the day as police cordoned off the surrounding streets, snarling traffic across central Paris. “It’s a shock… It’s been a movie script up until now,” said Paris Centre Mayor Ariel Weil. “It’s hard to imagine that it’s seemingly so easy to rob the Louvre.”
Investigators told Le Parisien the thieves had meticulously mapped their route, breaking in through a precise window opening before vanishing into the city on scooters.
“No one was hurt,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement. “The investigation has begun, and a detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled. Beyond their market value, these items have priceless heritage and historical value.”
The Louvre—home to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa—announced its closure on Twitter: “After the robbery that the Louvre suffered yesterday, the museum regrets to inform you that it will remain closed to the public today. Visitors who have already booked their tickets will be refunded.”
🇫🇷 Après le vol qu’a subi le Louvre hier, le musée a le regret de vous informer qu’il restera fermé au public ce jour. Les visiteurs ayant déjà réservé leurs billets seront remboursés.
🌎Following yesterday's robbery at the Louvre, the museum regrets to inform you that it will… pic.twitter.com/1UMDtyCty1
— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) October 20, 2025
Its royal gem collection includes stones of agate, jade, and rock crystal, along with famed diamonds such as the 140-carat Regent and 55-carat Sancy—thankfully left untouched.
The theft reignited concerns about museum security amid staff complaints of understaffing and crowding. While the Mona Lisa sits behind bulletproof glass, broader protections are being upgraded under President Emmanuel Macron’s €700 million “Louvre New Renaissance” plan.
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Wheres Security
No sensors
No CCTV
No roving guards in sections of museum