Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced on Sunday, October 19, that thieves broke into the Louvre in the morning. The museum announced its closure for the day. Eight jewels of inestimable heritage value were stolen, including Empress Eugénie’s tiara and two necklaces.
The Louvre Museum was the victim of a burglary this Sunday morning, Rachida Dati announced. According to an initial report, jewels “located in display cases” were stolen, and Laurent Núñez stated that they were of “low value.” Read the article.
No injuries were reported. An investigation was opened, and the BRB was contacted to determine the exact circumstances of the events, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Read the report.
Due to this incident, the Louvre Museum closed its doors for the entire day. Eight jewels stolen
Emmanuel Macron assures that the works will be found and that “the perpetrators will be brought to justice”
The President of the Republic believes that “the theft committed at the Louvre constitutes an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.”
Emmanuel Macron assures that the works will be found and that those responsible will be brought to justice. He adds: “Everything possible is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the direction of the Paris prosecutor’s office.”
He also states that “the Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance project, which we launched in January, offers greater security. It will guarantee the preservation and protection of what constitutes our memory and our culture.”
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, four people are being sought.
According to initial reports, there are four perpetrators, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced to BFMTV.
The four men had their faces “covered” and fled “on high-powered scooters,” the judge added.
Investigators have security camera footage from the museum and the city.
The Paris prosecutor told BFMTV that investigators have “video surveillance footage from the museum and the city” and can also count on “the mobilization of fellow citizens.”
He explains: “One of our fellow citizens, for example, reported to the judicial police that one of the criminals got rid of the yellow vest he was wearing.” The object is now in the hands of investigators.
Details of the stolen jewelry, according to Laure Beccuau
On BFMTV, Laure Beccuau gave details of the jewelry stolen by the thieves. According to her, there are:
- A necklace and an earring from the Marie-Louise collection
- Three pieces of jewelry (a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a tiara) from the collections of Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.
- Four pieces from Empress Eugénie’s collection. Two brooches, one of them called a locket, a bodice knot, and a tiara.
They also attempted to steal Empress Eugénie’s crown, but it was recovered.
The Paris prosecutor announced that the criminals took the basket themselves.
The basket used by the criminals had been brought by the thieves themselves a few minutes earlier.
The hoist was later removed by a crane.
The Ministry of Culture Announces the Theft of Eight Jewels
The Ministry of Culture reported that eight pieces of jewelry were stolen during the robbery that occurred this Sunday morning, including Empress Eugénie’s tiara and two necklaces.
A ninth object, Empress Eugénie’s crown, was abandoned by the criminals during their escape and its condition is “under investigation,” the ministry said, adding that “two high-security display cases” were targeted during the theft.
François Hollande Denounces “An Attack on Our Heritage”
Former French President François Hollande denounced “a serious act, an attack on our heritage” after the theft at the Louvre and mentioned several other thefts that have affected French museums in recent weeks.
Regarding the theft at the Louvre, he said he does not rule out any hypothesis, not even that of foreign interference “to destabilize our country.”
