Louvre Museum Closed After Daring Daylight Heist of Priceless Jewels

Louvre Museum Shuts Down Following Audacious Jewel Heist

The world-renowned Louvre Museum in Paris, France, remained closed on Monday, October 20, 2025, a day after a brazen daylight robbery saw several priceless historic jewels stolen from its collection. The heist, which occurred on Sunday, October 19, 2025, around 9:30 AM local time, involved four thieves who made off with eight items of immense historical and monetary value from the museum's Galerie d'Apollon.

The museum announced its closure for 'exceptional reasons,' with visitors holding tickets for Monday being offered refunds.

Details of the Daring Operation

The meticulously planned robbery unfolded rapidly, lasting between four and seven minutes. The perpetrators, reportedly disguised as workers, utilized a basket lift (also described as a cherry picker or furniture elevator) to access a second-floor window on the Seine-facing facade of the museum. They then used a disc cutter or angle grinder to breach a glass window and smashed display cases within the Galerie d'Apollon, which houses the French Crown Jewels. The thieves fled the scene on motorbikes or scooters.

Among the stolen items are several pieces of significant historical importance, including:

• An emerald and diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon to his wife, Marie Louise.
• A sapphire necklace and earrings once worn by Napoleon's stepdaughter Hortense and Queen Marie Amélie.
• A tiara from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
• An emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie-Louise's set.
• A reliquary brooch and a large corsage bow brooch of Empress Eugénie.

One item, the Crown of Empress Eugénie, was reportedly recovered broken outside the museum after being dropped by the fleeing thieves.

Strong Official Reactions and Ongoing Investigation

The robbery has elicited strong condemnation from French officials. French President Emmanuel Macron stated on social media that the theft was 'an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our History,' vowing to 'recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.' Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the incident as a 'major, highly organized operation' and acknowledged potential security failings. Culture Minister Rachida Dati characterized it as a 'professional 'four-minute operation'' and confirmed no injuries during the heist.

The Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, has launched an inquiry, with a team of 60 investigators assigned to the case. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage, examining equipment left at the scene, and interviewing museum staff. Interpol and border authorities have been notified as part of the national and international investigation. The incident marks the first art theft at the Louvre since 1998.

Security Concerns and Public Outcry

The audacious nature of the robbery, occurring in broad daylight with visitors present, has raised significant concerns about security vulnerabilities at major cultural institutions. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin admitted that the heist exposed security shortcomings and cast France in a 'deplorable' light. Opposition figures, including Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally party, called the theft 'an unbearable humiliation for our country.' The incident has prompted calls for a reassessment of security measures at museums and cultural sites across France.