Thieves Strike The Louvre Museum In Bold Daylight Heist
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Less than a month after a daring heist at the National Museum of Natural History, another museum in France has been robbed. On October 19, 2025, four thieves stole nine pieces of France's crown jewels from the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum. Unlike the previous theft, this one took place in broad daylight.
The heist began shortly after the museum opened at 9:30 AM. The thieves used a mechanical lift, a device generally used for moving furniture into Paris apartments, to reach the second floor. They then cut through a window using special tools.
Once inside the museum, the masked robbers used angle grinders to threaten museum staff and smash two display cases holding the jewels. The stolen items included a necklace and a pair of earrings that once belonged to Marie-Louise. She was the second wife of French Emperor Napoleon I. Also taken were a necklace, earrings, and a tiara owned by Queen Marie-Amélie, the last queen of France. A brooch, a bodice bow, and a crown from the collection of Empress Eugénie, wife of Emperor Napoleon III, were also stolen. The entire heist lasted just seven minutes.
As they fled on scooters, the thieves inadvertently dropped a few items. Among them was Empress Eugénie’s crown. It was later found broken near the museum.
Experts say the stolen pieces are too unique to be sold as complete items. They believe the thieves will melt down the metal and sell the gemstones individually. This means officials might have less than a week to find the historic jewels before they are lost forever.
This is not the first robbery at the Louvre. In 1911, a handyman stole a then-little-known painting called the Mona Lisa. It was recovered two years later when the thief tried to sell it. That heist helped transform the painting into one of the world’s most famous artworks.
Resources: ABCnews.com, NBC.com, CNN.com
