French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that those responsible for the audacious daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris will be tracked down and the priceless items they stole recovered.
“Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office,” Macron declared in a statement posted on social media.
According to France’s culture ministry, eight “priceless” pieces of jewelry were stolen during the heist—among them an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon to his wife, Empress Marie Louise.
The brazen theft took place in broad daylight on Sunday when a group of thieves stormed the Louvre, spending only seven minutes inside. They managed to seize several of France’s treasured crown jewels but dropped a gem-encrusted crown while fleeing, officials confirmed.
The incident marks one of the most shocking heists to hit France in recent months and forced the temporary closure of the world’s most visited museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Mona Lisa.
Macron wrote that “everything is being done” to ensure the perpetrators are caught and the stolen artefacts recovered.
Outside the museum, soldiers were seen guarding the iconic glass pyramid entrance while police cordoned off the area. Tourists and locals were left stunned as the Louvre’s courtyard was cleared.
“It felt like a Hollywood movie,” said American visitor Talia Ocampo, who described the experience as “crazy” and “something we won’t forget—we could not go to the Louvre because there was a robbery.”
‘Priceless’ Heritage Stolen
In a statement, the culture ministry confirmed that the theft took place in the Apollo Gallery, home to France’s crown jewels.
“Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of priceless cultural heritage were stolen,” the statement read.
Among the stolen treasures were Napoleon’s emerald-and-diamond necklace for Empress Marie Louise and the 19th-century crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
Paris Chief Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told BFMTV that investigators are pursuing a four-member gang suspected of carrying out the theft. The robbers reportedly used angle grinders to threaten security guards and break into reinforced glass cases. A 60-person investigative team has been assigned to the case.
Authorities said the thieves gained access to the gallery using a powered, extendable furniture hoist—the kind used to lift items into buildings—to reach the upper-level window.
Eugénie’s crown was later found after being dropped by the thieves as they made their escape. According to the Louvre’s website, the crown is adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.
‘It Took 30 Seconds to Get In’
Other stolen items include a necklace from Queen Marie Amelie’s sapphire collection, a necklace belonging to Queen Hortense, and a pair of emerald earrings once owned by Empress Marie Louise.
The thieves struck between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m., just minutes after the museum opened to the public at 9:00 a.m., a source close to the investigation said.
According to police reports, the robbers arrived on scooters equipped with angle grinders and used the furniture hoist to gain access.
A witness named Samir told TF1 that he saw two men “get on the hoist, break the window and enter… it took 30 seconds.” He said four suspects later fled the scene on scooters.
The Louvre is located less than a kilometre from Paris police headquarters, making the heist even more daring.
Museum officials told AFP that the building was closed “to preserve traces and clues for the investigation.”
Opposition figures reacted sharply to the theft. Far-right leader Jordan Bardella called it “an unbearable humiliation for our country,” while conservative politician Laurent Wauquiez declared, “France has been stolen. We have to protect what is most precious to us: our history.”
Security Concerns Resurface
The Louvre, once home to French royalty before Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles in the 17th century, attracts nearly nine million visitors a year.
France’s new Interior Minister and former Paris police chief, Laurent Nuñez, acknowledged that there was “a great vulnerability” in the security of national museums.
The robbery follows a series of museum thefts across France in recent months. Just last month, burglars broke into the Natural History Museum in Paris and escaped with gold samples worth around €600,000 ($700,000). Earlier, thieves stole two dishes and a vase valued at €6.5 million from a museum in Limoges.
Thefts at the Louvre, however, are rare. A painting by Camille Corot vanished from the museum in 1998 and has never been recovered. The most infamous case occurred in 1911 when the Mona Lisa was stolen by an Italian employee—but it was later recovered and now sits safely behind reinforced glass.
In January, Macron announced plans to redesign the Louvre following concerns raised by its director over security and infrastructure. He reaffirmed on Sunday that the redesign would include stronger security measures to prevent such incidents.
What You Should Know
The daring daylight theft at the Louvre—France’s most renowned cultural institution—has sent shockwaves through the nation.
Among the eight stolen pieces were jewels once worn by Napoleon’s wife and Empress Eugénie, representing centuries of royal history.
As investigators race to find the culprits, the incident has reignited concerns about museum security across France and raised difficult questions about protecting national treasures in an age of escalating art theft.
