On the morning of Sunday, October 19th, 2025, thieves executed a bold daytime heist at the Louvre in Paris, at the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses several elements of France’s Crown Jewels. At approximately 9:30 AM, a group of four thieves used a truck mounted aerial lift or basket to access a second floor window on the Seine facing side of the building. The men were dressed in disguise and carrying power tools like chainsaws, disc or angle grinders and cut through the window before smashing the glass display cases in under seven minutes.
Louvre Museum Robbery, What Did The Thieves Take?
The thieves took off with eight or nine historic items including a sapphire diadem and necklaces, earrings and brooches linked to Empress Eugenie, Queen Marie Amelie, Queen Hortense, and Empress Marie Louise. One of the most recognisable objects was the crown of Empress Eugénie, which was recovered almost immediately outside of the museum, albeit damaged. Surprisingly, they left behind the well known Regent Diamond, worth well over $60 million.
Louvre Museum Robbery CCTV Footage
According to reports, there were no injuries. The robbery has sparked swift condemnation of the museum’s security for such a professional raid happening in the daylight, in a room that routinely welcomes thousands into Thirty six rooms that had also been open to the public.
Les images du cambriolage du Louvre (document BFMTV) pic.twitter.com/FciPpaXTMA
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) October 19, 2025
In addition to condemning the theft French President Emmanuel Macron called it ‘an attack on a heritage we love’ the authorities proceeded to launch an investigation through specialized units, combing through CCTV footage and examining tool marks and motives including possible commissioned theft or money laundering. The museum closed for the day and now has to answer questions about infrastructure, staffing and security. This compares to some other high profile thefts and reminds us that even prestigious institutions remain vulnerable. Whether the stolen items will be recovered is unclear with experts declaring professional thieves commonly recut or re polish the large gemstones to gain provenance.
Also Read: Donald Trump’s ‘Massive Tariffs’ Warning Puts India On Edge Over Russian Oil
