2025 Louvre heist

The 16th-century Galerie d'Apollon within the Louvre displayed what remained of the French Crown Jewels, including the Crown of Louis XV and the Hortensia diamond. The first documented theft from the Louvre occurred in 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the museum, stole the Mona Lisa (recovered two years later in Italy). The most recent art theft before 2025 was in 1998, when the painting Le chemin de Sèvres by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was stolen. The artwork has not yet been found; at the time, the Louvre's director, Pierre Rosenberg, warned that the museum's security was "fragile". Laurence des Cars, director of the museum at the time of the 2025 robbery, had asked the Paris police to conduct a security audit of the museum. Although recommendations were made after the audit, they were only beginning to be implemented at the time of the robbery. A 2014 audit by France's National Cybersecurity Agency had warned the museum about serious security flaws, including the use of "trivial" passwords and outdated software. It was reported that the password to get into the surveillance system was "Louvre". Other French museums that have also recently been targeted and had items stolen include the Cognacq-Jay Museum and the Hiéron Museum, both in November 2024, and the Adrien Dubouché Museum in September 2025. The National Museum of Natural History in Paris was also robbed of gold worth on 16 September 2025. == Theft ==

The robbery occurred at approximately 9:30am CEST, 30 minutes after the museum opened to visitors. Two members, with their faces concealed with balaclavas, From the balcony, they used a disc cutter to cut through a glass window to access the gallery, triggering security alarms. Leaving the museum using the lift, they met up with two other members of the crew who were waiting on motor scooters. They attempted to set fire to the basket of the lift before fleeing. The entire robbery took just under eight minutes, of which the thieves spent only four in the building proper. == Items stolen ==

The items were identified by the Ministry of Culture as: • The tiara, necklace and an earring from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amalie and Queen Hortense • The emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from the Empress Marie Louise set • The reliquary brooch, a large corsage bow brooch and the tiara of Empress Eugénie de Montijo While fleeing, the robbers dropped the Crown of Empress Eugénie, which was found heavily damaged, missing a golden eagle and 10 diamonds and itself basically crushed due to the thieves pulling it through an opening in the glass cases that was too small for it. Director De Cars shared that "initial assessments suggest that a delicate restoration is possible". The Paris prosecutor's office said that a second jewelled item had also been dropped but did not say what it was.), the Sancy, and the Hortensia. The prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that "the Louvre curator estimated the damages to be million" but also added that "the greater loss was to France's historical heritage". File:Diadème de la parure de la reine Marie-Amélie et de la Reine Hortense - Musée du Louvre Objets d'art OA 11030.jpg|Tiara from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amalie and Queen Hortense File:Collier de la parure de la reine Marie-Amélie - Musée du Louvre Objets d'art OA 11031.jpg|Necklace from the same set File:Boucles d'oreille de la parure de la reine Marie-Amélie - Musée du Louvre Objets d'art OA 11033 ; OA 11034.jpg|Earrings from the same set File:Collier en émeraudes de la parure de Marie-Louise - Musée du Louvre Objets d'Art OA 12155.jpg|Emerald necklace from Marie Louise's set File:Paire de boucles d'oreilles en émeraudes de la parure de Marie-Louise - Musée du Louvre OA 12156.jpg|Pair of emerald earrings from Marie Louise's set File:Diadème de limpératrice Eugénie (musée du Louvre) (7166066743).jpg|Tiara of Empress Eugénie File:Grand noeud de corsage de l'impératrice Eugénie - François Kramer - Musée du Louvre Objets d'art OA 12238.jpg|Large bodice bow of Empress Eugénie File:1-Crown of Empress EugénieDSC 0247blacken.jpg|Crown of Empress Eugénie (recovered, damaged) == Investigation ==

The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the incident, Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said in a later statement that more than 100 investigators were assigned; more than 150 pieces of evidence were collected, including fingerprints and DNA. Police reviewed CCTV footage along the escape route. Le Parisien reported that the police recovered power tools, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, a blanket and a crown at the scene. After four days, the prosecutor's office revealed that the two arrested had partially admitted to their involvement, and that they were charged with (organised gang theft) and (criminal conspiracy). Five more suspects were arrested on 29 October, only one of them thought to be part of the four-man team. Two were charged before a magistrate on 31 October: a 37-year-old-man (theft and criminal conspiracy) and a 38-year-old-woman (organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime). Both denied any involvement. Three were released. The prosecutor's office reported on 25 November that four more suspects from Paris were detained by police. One was charged before a magistrate on 27 November: a 39-year-old man (organised gang theft and criminal conspiracy). The man is believed to be the final member of the four-man team. The other three detained on 27 November were released. The location of the jewels remains unknown as of May 2026. == Aftermath ==

The museum was evacuated and closed to the public immediately after the robbery. Interpol added the jewels to its Stolen Works of Art database on 20 October. The museum re-opened on 22 October, with the Galerie d'Apollon still closed as of April 2026. After the robbery, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a "speeding-up" of the implementation of the recommendations made during a previous audit. Des Cars confirmed that she had offered her resignation to the Ministry of Culture on the day of the burglary, but that the offer was declined. As a precaution, a number of precious jewels were transferred from the museum to the Bank of France in the weeks following the heist. In February 2026, the Louvre began the bidding process to hire a restorer for the Crown of Empress Eugénie, which had been damaged after being dropped by the thieves during the heist. == Reactions ==

President Macron condemned the robbery, saying it was "an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history." He pledged to recover the jewels and bring the perpetrators to justice. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said it gave France "a terrible image" but was confident the perpetrators would be apprehended. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a "major robbery" and said the stolen goods were "of immeasurable heritage value". Opposition politicians have used the robbery to harshly criticise the current government. Jordan Bardella of National Rally called it a humiliation and asked how far the State will continue to decay. A report by the Cour des Comptes found that in the years prior to the heist the museum has "favoured operations that were visible and attractive" over essential maintenance and security upgrades. French journalist Didier Rykner accused the museum's director, Laurence des Cars, of prioritising her flagship projects over the basic protection of existing collections. == See also ==