Louvre Shock: Man Filmed Breaking into Display Case During Daring Robbery

Daring Daylight Heist Shocks the Louvre — Security Fears Rise

A broad daylight robbery at Paris’s iconic Louvre Museum on Sunday has sparked serious concerns over the security of France’s cultural institutions. The heist — executed with cinematic precision — saw eight priceless royal artifacts stolen in under seven minutes.

Caught on Camera as Tourists Strolled By

Footage shared by France’s BFMTV shows one of the thieves calmly cutting through a glass display case while visitors walked past unaware.
“It was like a Hollywood movie,” an American tourist told AFP, calling the robbery “crazy” to witness in real time.

Authorities say four thieves were involved. They entered the Apollo Gallery — home to French crown jewels — just 40 minutes after the museum opened, reportedly using a furniture hoist to access the treasures.

Priceless Crown Jewels Targeted

According to the French cultural ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of priceless cultural heritage were stolen.”
The thieves used angle grinders to smash the glass and even threatened museum guards with the tools, said Paris chief prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez suggested that a highly skilled, possibly foreign team was involved — while acknowledging museum security remains a “weak spot” in France.

What Was Stolen

Bloomberg reports the stolen artifacts included:

• A sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring linked to Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense

• An emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie-Louise, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte

• A reliquary brooch

• Empress Eugénie’s diadem

• Eugénie’s large corsage-bow brooch, a major 19th-century imperial treasure

In the midst of the escape, the crown of Empress Eugénie was dropped and damaged, according to officials.

Louvre’s First Major Heist in Nearly Four Decades

The Louvre — home to the Mona Lisa and the world’s most visited museum — has not seen a robbery of this scale in 37 years. The last incident occurred in 1988, when a Corot painting was stolen.