French police have launched a large-scale manhunt for a group of thieves who pulled off a bold daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum, escaping with eight priceless royal jewels in under seven minutes.
The Louvre Museum and its famous pyramids/Mika Baumeister/Unsplash
Officials said around 60 investigators are pursuing leads suggesting the raid was orchestrated by a highly organised international crime syndicate, as reported by IOL via AFP.
The theft has reignited fierce debate over security in France’s national museums—described by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez as a “major weak spot”.
The break-in occurred shortly after the museum opened its doors on Sunday morning. According to investigators, the thieves arrived between 9:30 and 9:40 am, using a furniture hoist to access the Apollo Gallery, which houses the royal collection. They reportedly cut through a window and smashed open display cases before making off with the jewels.
A brief mobile phone video of the masked thieves inside the gallery was shared on French news channels, showing the rapid, calculated nature of the heist.
Among the stolen treasures were an emerald-and-diamond necklace given by Napoleon to his wife, Empress Marie Louise; a diamond-studded diadem once owned by Empress Eugénie; and a sapphire-and-diamond necklace that belonged to Queen Marie-Amélie, France’s last queen. One piece—the crown of Empress Eugénie—was dropped and damaged as the thieves fled.
The crown of Empress Eugénie (1826–1920), stolen earlier today, has been found broken outside the Louvre Museum. pic.twitter.com/UpZngTi9Ed
— Masterpieces of France (@FrenchArt_) October 19, 2025
The culture ministry confirmed that eight pieces remain missing. Staff intervention during the robbery forced the criminals to abandon some of their equipment as they escaped.
Auction expert Alexandre Giquello of Drouot Patrimoine said the jewels would be nearly impossible to sell in their current form due to their historic value and traceability.
This is the Louvre’s first major theft since 1998, when a painting by Corot vanished and was never recovered. The incident follows a string of recent museum robberies across France: in September, thieves stole gold samples worth $700,000 from Paris’s Natural History Museum, and in Limoges, a separate group made off with ceramics valued at $7.6 million.
The Louvre heist has sparked political outrage. Far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella called it “an unbearable humiliation for our country”, while President Emmanuel Macron assured the public that “everything is being done” to catch the perpetrators and retrieve the stolen treasures.
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