On the night of October 19, 2025, the Louvre Museum was the target of a robbery of rare audacity. A group of criminals managed to enter the establishment using a gondola vehicle, rented under a false identity, allowing them to access an elevated entrance. In less than ten minutes, the individuals subtilized several emblematic pieces from the collection of the Crown Jewels of France.
Among the stolen objects are:
– The tiara of the Empress Eugenie.
– Two necklaces dating from the 19th century.
– A brooch called ‘reliquary’ The great corsage knot of the empress.
– A set of sapphires that belonged to the Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense
The financial loss is estimated at several millions of euros. However, the patrimonial loss is considered as incommensurable, these pieces constituting an irreplaceable historical heritage.
An investigation was immediately opened by the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Cultural Property (OCBC), in collaboration.
Reaction of Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre
Faced with the spectacular theft of imperial jewelry, Laurence des Cars said she was “bruised” and “deeply shocked” by the ease with which the criminals operated. Interviewed by the Senate’s Culture Committee, she acknowledged the flaws in the museum’s security system, while defending the efforts undertaken since 2021 to modernize the facilities.
She proposed several strong measures:
– Creation of a permanent commissariat within the museum to strengthen the police presence.
– Securing the surroundings of the Louvre, in particular by devices preventing access by unauthorized vehicles.
– Reinforcement of display cases and alarm systems, with a modernization plan already underway.
Despite the shock, Laurence des Cars affirmed her determination to “draw all the lessons from this event” and to “restore public trust in the security of national heritage”.
