2025 Louvre robbery

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2025 Louvre robbery
The Galerie d'Apollon in 2024
Map
Site of the heist
Date19 October 2025 (2025-10-19)
Timec. 09:30 (CEST)
VenueLouvre
LocationParis, France
TypeJewellery theft
Stolen value€88 million

On 19 October 2025, thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels valued at €88 million from the Galerie d'Apollon (lit. 'Apollo's Gallery') of the Louvre in Paris, France. The robbery took less than eight minutes of which the thieves spent four in the museum itself and happened during regular opening hours.[1][2] It was the first art theft from the Louvre since the 1998 theft of the painting Le chemin de Sèvres.[3][4]

Background

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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.[5]

The first documented theft from the Louvre occurred in 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the museum, stole the Mona Lisa (it was recovered two years later in Italy).[6] In 1998, the Le chemin de Sèvres painting by Camille Corot was stolen and has not yet been found. At the time, Louvre's museum director, Pierre Rosenberg warned that the museum's security was "fragile".[7] Louvre director at the time of the robbery, Laurence des Cars, 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.[7] After the robbery President Macron ordered a "speeding-up" of the implementation.[8] According to labour unions, Louvre's security had been undermined by staff reductions, while museum attendance has soared. The SUD union issued a statement on 19 October 2025, complaining about "the destruction of security jobs" at the Louvre.[7]

In the 2020s, other French museums were also targeted and had items stolen, including the Cognacq-Jay Museum and the Hiéron Museum [fr], both in November 2024, and the Adrien Dubouché Museum in September 2025.[9] The National Museum of Natural History was also robbed on September 16, 2025.[10]

Theft

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A "monte-meuble", similar to the one used in the robbery

The robbery occurred at about 9:30 a.m. CEST, 30 minutes after the museum opened to visitors.[11][12] The thieves arrived at the building and entered from the Seine side, bringing tools. They were wearing yellow and orange vests to disguise themselves as construction workers.[12] Two members of the crew,[13] with their faces concealed with balaclavas,[11] gained entry to a first-floor[12][9] balcony of the building's south side using a monte-meuble, a vehicle-mounted electric hoist commonly used in Paris to move furniture in or out of a building via an upper-story window.[13]

Once they gained access using the hoist's platform,[14] they used a disc cutter[12] to cut through a glass window to access the Galerie d'Apollon, triggering security alarms.[13] After threatening the guards with their power tools, the thieves took nine pieces from two glass display cases,[9][15] then left the museum by descending the hoist's ladder to two other members of the crew,[13] who were waiting on motor scooters.[16] During their exit, they dropped the Crown of Empress Eugénie in the street, reducing their haul to eight items.[17] They attempted to set fire to the basket of the vehicle-mounted lift before fleeing, but a museum staffer prevented them from doing so.[13] The thieves fled along the banks of the Seine to the Boulevard Périphérique and then took the A6 autoroute southwards.[18][19] The entire robbery took just under eight minutes of which the thieves spent four in the building after cutting the window.[1]

The museum was evacuated, and remained closed through October 21.[20][21][22] The museum reopened on 22 October, though the Apollo Gallery remained closed to visitors.[23]

Items stolen

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The items were identified by the Ministry of Culture as:

While fleeing, the robbers dropped the Crown of Empress Eugénie, which was found "badly damaged".[26] The Paris prosecutor's office said that a second jewelled item had also been dropped but did not say what it was.[13] Media and experts noted that the thieves did not appear to target several significant diamonds in the gallery; the Regent, the Sancy, and the Hortensia.[27][28][29]

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that "The Louvre curator estimated the damages to be €88 million" but also added that "the greater loss was to France's historical heritage".[30][31][32]

  • Stolen items
  • Earrings from the sapphire set of Queen Maria Amalia and Queen Hortense
    Earrings from the sapphire set of Queen Maria Amalia and Queen Hortense
  • Necklace from the same set
    Necklace from the same set
  • Tiara from the same set
    Tiara from the same set
  • Emerald necklace from Marie Louise's set
    Emerald necklace from Marie Louise's set
  • Pair of emerald earrings from Marie Louise's set
    Pair of emerald earrings from Marie Louise's set
  • Tiara of Empress Eugénie
    Tiara of Empress Eugénie
  • Large bodice bow of Empress Eugénie
    Large bodice bow of Empress Eugénie
  • Crown of Empress Eugénie (recovered, damaged)
    Crown of Empress Eugénie (recovered, damaged)

Investigation

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The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the incident,[13] with prosecutor Laure Beccuau saying that 60 people had been assigned to the investigation.[33] Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said in a later statement that more than 100 investigators were assigned.[8]

Police reviewed CCTV footage along the escape route.[9] Photographs showed a small truck parked next to the museum with its lift extended up to a first-floor balcony.[34] Le Parisien reported that the police recovered power tools, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, a blanket and a crown at the scene.[15]

Aftermath

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Following the robbery, museum director Laurence des Cars appeared before the French Senate's Committee on Culture on 22 October 2025 to address questions by the lawmakers, and acknowledged shortcomings in the museum's surveillance systems, noting that parts of the building were not adequately covered by external cameras at the time of the theft.[35]

Des Cars confirmed that she had offered her resignation to the Ministry of Culture in the immediate aftermath of the incident, but the offer was declined.[35]

Reactions

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President Emmanuel Macron condemned the robbery, saying:

The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history. We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor's office. The Louvre New Renaissance project, which we launched in January, provides for strengthened security. It will be the guarantor of the preservation and protection of what constitutes our memory and our culture.[36]

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a "major robbery" and said the stolen goods were "of immeasurable heritage value".[37][14]

Culture Minister Rachida Dati told TF1: "We saw some footage: they don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave. No violence, very professional."[38]

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin reflected on the image that the robbery projected onto France, saying "People were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels and give France a terrible image."[39]

Political opponents have used the heist to harshly criticise the current government, including Éric Ciotti, who described the heist as an "ultimate symbol of its [the current government's] collapse". He also said that by allowing such an event to take place "the entire nation is threatened". Communist politicians have criticised the government's meager reaction to numerous recent strikes.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Atkinson, Emily (22 October 2025). "It took fewer than eight minutes for the robbery to unfold - here's how". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Louvre closed for the day after robbery of 'priceless' jewelry". Le Monde. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  3. ^ Schofield, Hugh (19 October 2025). "How common are thefts from the Louvre?". BBC News. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Police hunt Louvre jewel thieves as questions swirl over museum's security". The Washington Post. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  5. ^ Walker, Genevieve (19 October 2025). "Everything to Know About the Louvre's Apollo Gallery, the Site of the Jewelry Heist". ELLE Decor. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  6. ^ Mark Walker and Adeel Hassan, Other Brazen Art Heists Like the Louvre Jewelry Theft, New York Times (20 October 2025).
  7. ^ a b c "Louvre heist raises decades old questions about museum security". France24. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  8. ^ a b Henley, Jon (22 October 2025). "The Louvre's new must-see? The broken window smashed by thieves in €88m jewel heist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d Aikman, Ian; Hagan, Rachel (19 October 2025). "Everything we know about the Louvre jewellery heist". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  10. ^ Amelia Nierenberg (21 October 2025). "Suspect Charged in Paris Museum Heist (No, Not That One)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 October 2025.
  11. ^ a b Stargardter, Gabriel; de La Hamaide, Sybille (19 October 2025). "Thieves rob priceless jewels from Paris' Louvre in brazen heist". Reuters. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d "Cambriolage au Louvre : ce que l'on sait sur le vol spectaculaire de bijoux "d'une valeur inestimable"" [Louvre burglary: What we know about the spectacular theft of "priceless" jewels] (in French). TF1. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Porter, Catherine; Breeden, Aurelien (20 October 2025). "In Just 7 Brazen Minutes, Thieves Grab 'Priceless' Jewels From Louvre". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025.
  14. ^ a b Adamson, Thomas (19 October 2025). "Thieves strike Louvre in brazen jewel heist as the world's most visited museum shuts". AP News. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  15. ^ a b Goillandeau, Martin; Danaher, Caitlin; Vandoorne, Saskya (19 October 2025). "Thieves steal 'priceless' jewelry from the Louvre in seven-minute raid". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  16. ^ Rebecca Rosman, Masked thieves steal 'priceless' jewels from the Louvre Museum Archived 19 October 2025 at the Wayback Machine, NPR (19 October 2025).
  17. ^ "From Louis XIV's Diamonds to Empress Eugenie's Tiara: What Was Stolen In the Louvre Jewel Heist". Vanity Fair. 20 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Cambriolage au musée du Louvre : les quatre suspects toujours poursuivis" [Louvre burglary: four suspects still sought]. Franceinfo. 21 October 2025.
  19. ^ Décugis, Jean-Michel (19 October 2025). "Le musée du Louvre cible d'un braquage ce dimanche, des bijoux dérobés" [Louvre Museum targeted in a robbery on Sunday, jewellery stolen]. Le Parisien. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025.
  20. ^ "Watch: Crowds evacuate Louvre after heist". BBC News. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  21. ^ Chrisafis, Angelique (19 October 2025). "'Priceless' jewellery stolen from Louvre in raid by 'experienced' thieves". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  22. ^ Corbet, Sylvie (20 October 2025). "Louvre remains closed one day after jewel heist". AP News. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  23. ^ Davies, Maia (22 October 2025). "Louvre reopens three days after French crown jewels stolen". BBC News.
  24. ^ Stargardter, Gabriel; de La Hamaide, Sybille (19 October 2025). "What jewels did the Louvre thieves target?". Reuters. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  25. ^ "Eight 'priceless' objects stolen in Louvre museum heist named – as authorities reveal details of daring raid". Sky News. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Louvre jewels heist live updates: Museum director answers questions". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  27. ^ Pizzirani, Daniela (20 October 2025). "What we know about the Louvre jewellery heist". ABC News.
  28. ^ Bajos, Par Sandrine (19 October 2025). "Musée du Louvre cambriolé : quels sont les bijoux exposés dans la galerie d'Apollon visée par les voleurs ?". Le Parisien (in French).
  29. ^ Billault, Jérémy; Bégot, Amandine (20 October 2025). ""Ils sont très revendables" : comment les cambrioleurs peuvent écouler les bijoux volés au musée du Louvre". RTL (in French).
  30. ^ "Louvre heist: Stolen jewellery worth €88m, prosecutor says". BBC News. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  31. ^ "Stolen jewels in Louvre heist valued at €88 million". 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  32. ^ "Louvre heist losses estimated at 88 million euros". France 24. 21 October 2025.
  33. ^ "Client Challenge". www.ft.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  34. ^ "Smashed window among latest pictures from the scene". BBC News. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  35. ^ a b Kirby, Paul; Jordan, Dearbail (22 October 2025). "No camera covered Louvre wall where jewel thieves broke in, director says". BBC News. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  36. ^ Emmanuel Macron [@EmmanuelMacron] (19 October 2025). "Le vol commis au Louvre est une atteinte à un patrimoine que nous chérissons car il est notre Histoire. Nous retrouverons les œuvres et les auteurs seront traduits en justice. Tout est mis en œuvre, partout, pour y arriver, sous la conduite du parquet de Paris. Le projet Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance, que nous avons engagé en janvier, prévoit un renforcement de la sécurité. Il sera le garant de la préservation et de la protection de ce qui constitue notre mémoire et notre culture" (Tweet) (in French). Retrieved 19 October 2025 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ Lapham, Jake, ed. (19 October 2025). "Thieves steal jewels of 'incalculable' value in seven-minute heist at Louvre museum in Paris". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  38. ^ "Thieves pull off daring daylight heist, stealing priceless jewels from Paris's Louvre Museum". News.Az. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  39. ^ Lockhart, Alastair (20 October 2025). "Louvre remains closed after robbery of priceless jewellery leaves France 'humiliated'". The Standard. Retrieved 20 October 2025.