It sounds like a scene from a French thriller, but this was no film set. On Sunday morning, October 19, 2025, a group of four masked thieves pulled off one of the boldest museum heists in recent memory, stealing eight priceless jewels from the Louvre Museum’s famed Galerie d’Apollon in just seven minutes. The robbery has sent shockwaves through Paris and the art world, raising serious questions about security at the world’s most-visited museum.
High-Profile Heist in Broad Daylight
According to officials, the gang struck at around 9:30 am, shortly after the museum opened its doors to visitors. Using a mechanical basket lift, the suspects scaled the Louvre’s facade and climbed through a first-floor window. Once inside, they smashed display cases and grabbed eight historic jewels—diadems, necklaces, earrings, and brooches—that once belonged to French royals, including the families of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Marie Louise. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the operation took mere minutes, with the thieves escaping on mopeds as stunned tourists were ushered away from the iconic glass pyramid entrance.
One object, the emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, set with over 1,300 diamonds, was found broken and abandoned near the museum. Another item was also recovered close by. Still, the majority of the haul remains missing, and authorities warn that it would be difficult to sell the jewels intact due to their fame and historical significance.
Security Concerns and Ongoing Manhunt
Police launched a manhunt for the four suspects, working against the clock to recover the stolen treasures before they can be broken up or disappear onto the black market. The Louvre, which was evacuated and closed for the rest of Sunday and remained shut on Monday, is reeling from the shock. Staff and officials have long warned that crowding and thin staffing are straining museum security. Earlier this year, Louvre administrators requested government help to renovate ageing exhibition halls and bolster art protection.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called the robbery “a shock” and admitted it would “inevitably raise security issues,” drawing comparisons to the fictional heists in the popular French series “Lupin.” The last theft of this magnitude at the Louvre dates back to 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen by a museum employee.
As police comb through security footage and interview witnesses, the city—and the world—waits to see if these irreplaceable pieces of French heritage can be recovered, or if they’ll become yet another mystery in the museum’s storied history.
