Heist exposes deep security flaws at France’s top museum
PARIS
The daring daylight theft of royal jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris has not only stunned France but also reopened long-standing questions about how well the country is protecting its vast cultural heritage.
Eight priceless pieces, including a diamond diadem belonging to Empress Eugénie, an emerald-and-diamond necklace given by Napoleon to Empress Marie Louise, and a sapphire-studded necklace that once adorned Queen Marie-Amélie, were stolen from the Apollo Gallery on Oct. 19 morning.
The heist, carried out in just seven minutes, was believed to be the work of a highly organized team, possibly made up of “seasoned” thieves, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
Investigators said the robbers entered the museum shortly after it opened, between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m., using a furniture hoist and power tools to break through a window and cut open the display cases. Museum staff intervened, forcing the masked thieves to flee and abandon some of their equipment. No one was injured.
Video footage of the incident, apparently captured by a visitor, quickly spread across French media, showing the speed and precision of the raid.
It was the first theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Camille Corot was stolen in broad daylight and never recovered. The recent robbery, which officials called a “national humiliation,” has now turned into a political controversy, with opposition figures blasting what they describe as years of neglect of museum security.
Concerns about the Louvre’s vulnerability date back decades. After the 1998 Corot theft, then-director Pierre Rosenberg warned that the museum’s security was “fragile.” More recently, current director Laurence des Cars requested a police security audit soon after taking over in 2021. Culture Minister Rachida Dati said on Sunday that the audit’s recommendations had begun to be implemented only “a few weeks or months ago.”
According to the ministry, alarms linked to the gallery’s windows went off during what it described as a “particularly fast and brutal break-in.” Five guards in the area immediately followed security protocol, prompting the thieves to escape before stealing even more.
Labor unions say the heist reflects the consequences of years of staff reductions at the Louvre, where around 200 full-time positions have been cut over the past 15 years. “We cannot do without physical surveillance,” said one union source, accusing the museum of prioritizing budget savings over safety.
The SUD union also condemned what it called the “destruction of security jobs,” noting that museum workers staged a brief strike in June to protest understaffing. Paris Deputy Mayor David Belliard said employees had warned about “security flaws” months earlier, questioning why their concerns were ignored.
In response to mounting criticism, President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year announced a $930 million renovation project for the Louvre, including a new visitor entrance and a “security master plan” with upgraded surveillance systems. Dati said new-generation cameras would be deployed throughout the museum.
Union representatives, however, warned that technology alone cannot replace human guards. “We hope the amount spent will match the level of protection required by our institution,” said one representative.
The Louvre heist comes amid a wave of thefts from French museums. Last month, criminals stole six kilos of gold nuggets from Paris’s Natural History Museum, while others took valuable ceramics from a museum in Limoges.
The Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property said museum burglaries have surged again, with 21 recorded in 2024 across France’s 1,200 national museums.
[HH] ‘Unsellable’ treasures
Experts say the stolen jewels are virtually impossible to sell in their current state because of their fame and historical significance. “In this operation, the most complicated part is not the theft, but the fencing,” said Alexandre Giquello, president of the leading auction house Drouot Patrimoine.
President Macron said on social media that “everything is being done” to find the perpetrators and recover the treasures.
As investigators comb through clues left behind in the Apollo Gallery, the theft has left France’s most famous museum — and its guardians of culture — confronting hard questions about whether enough is being done to safeguard the country’s priceless past.
