Daylight Heist at the Louvre: Napoleon's Jewels Stolen

The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris was shaken on Sunday morning by a remarkable theft. A four-person gang entered the museum through a section under renovation and stole some of France's most iconic historic jewels.

The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris was shaken on Sunday morning by a remarkable theft. A four-person gang entered the museum through a section under renovation and stole some of France’s most iconic historic jewels.

The thieves targeted two display cases in the museum’s dazzling Apollon Gallery and disappeared within seven minutes, taking eight “priceless” items, including an emerald and diamond necklace gifted to Napoleon’s wife Marie Louise, as well as a 19th-century crown belonging to Empress Eugénie.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the operation as “extremely professional” and said, “This was not just a robbery — it was an attack on our national heritage.”

Investigators said the thieves accessed the museum from the outside, near ongoing construction work, and broke a window to enter. Police are reviewing security camera footage to track their movements.

French President Emmanuel Macron said, “The attack on the Louvre is an attack on the heart of France. The perpetrators will be brought to justice.”

The incident marks one of the largest museum thefts in France in recent months. The Ministry of Culture confirmed that the museum would remain closed for the day as the investigation continues.