For centuries, the French Crown Jewels have embodied the splendour and turbulence of France itself — symbols of royal power, revolutionary fury, and national pride. Once adorning monarchs from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, these dazzling sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds have survived exile, auction, and restoration, ultimately finding sanctuary in the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon.
But that sanctuary was shattered this week when a gang of thieves executed a swift, cinematic daylight raid, making off with several of the museum’s most treasured Napoleonic jewels.
The theft has stunned France, reviving ghosts of past revolutions and raising urgent questions about how the guardians of history can protect its glittering remnants in the modern age.
Crown Jewels of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie kept at the Louvre
In 1717, The Regent Diamond was sold to Philip II, Duke of Orleans, then Regent of France, for about $650,000; since that time, it has been known as the Regent Diamond. It was set in the crown of Crown of Louis XV and worn at his coronation in February, 1723. Removed from the crown, it was worn by Queen Marie Leczinska in her hair.
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Two generations later, when the French Crown Jewels were adorned the Royal Family in many different kinds of personal ornaments, Marie Antoinette used the Regent to adorn a large black-velvet hat.
The coveted Regent Diamond disappeared, together with the equally famous Sancy and French Blue (from which the Hope was cut), when the Garde Meuble (Royal Treasury) was robbed of it’s fabulous jewels in 1792, during the early part of the Revolution.
Some of the gems were soon recovered, but the Regent could not at first be traced. After fifteen months, however, it was found, having been secreted in a hole under the timberwork of a Paris garret.
In 1797, the great gem was pledged for money that helped Napoleon in his ride to power. He had in mounted in the hilt of his sword that he carried at his coronation in 1804.
When Napoleon went into exile in Elba in 1814, Marie Louisa, his second wife, carried the Regent to the Chateau of Blois. Later, however, her father, Emperor Francis I of Austria, returned it to France and it again became part of the French Crown Jewels.
In 1825, Charles X wore the Regent at his coronation; it remained in the Royal Crown until the time of Napoleon III. Then, a place was made for it in a Greek diadem designed for Empress Eugenie.
Many of the French Crown Jewels were sold at auction in 1887, but the Regent was reserved from the sale and exhibited at the Louvre among the national treasures. In 1940, when the Germans invaded Paris, it was sent to the chateau country, this time to Chambord, where it was secreted behind a stone panel.
After the War, it was returned to Paris and put on display in the Apollon Gallery of the Louvre Museum. It was one of the features of the Ten Centuries of French Jewelry exhibition at the Museum in 1962. An alternate name sometimes used is the Millionaire Diamond. Source: DIAMONDS – Famous, Notable and Unique (GIA).
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Louvre Heist 2025
Paris, France — Sunday, 19 October 2025 — The world-famous Musée du Louvre in Paris – home to the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and millions of visitors each year – found itself at the centre of a dramatic daylight heist when a gang of masked thieves carried off priceless Napoleonic jewels from the heart of the museum.
The Heist: lightning strike in broad daylight
According to investigators, the robbery began at approximately 9:30 a.m., about half an hour after the Louvre’s doors opened to the public.
A group of four individuals, dressed in construction-worker style high-visibility vests and riding scooters, used a truck-mounted cherry-picker-style lift to reach a second-floor terrace on the Seine-facing side of the museum.
They breached a window with power tools and entered the Galerie d’Apollon – the wing holding much of France’s former crown jewels – and within four to seven minutes smashed open display cases and removed eight to nine historic pieces.
Among the treasures stolen in the audacious Louvre heist were some of France’s most storied royal jewels. The missing pieces include the tiara and necklace from the sapphire set once owned by Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, along with a single sapphire earring from the same collection.
From the famed Marie-Louise emerald suite, thieves took the necklace and a pair of matching earrings, as well as the “reliquary” brooch, a masterpiece of 19th-century craftsmanship. Also gone are the tiara and a large brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
In their hurried escape, however, the robbers dropped one glittering prize — Eugénie’s crown, later found discarded outside the museum walls. The Louvre confirmed the diadem’s staggering composition: 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, a fallen halo of empire left behind in the thieves’ flight.
There were no injuries reported. The thieves fled via motor scooters toward the A6 motorway, leaving behind tools and evidence of their preparation.
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Immediate fallout: museum in lockdown
In response, the Louvre was evacuated and closed for the remainder of the day “for exceptional reasons,” according to the museum.
The French government announced that tickets for affected visitors will be refunded automatically.
Political & cultural shockwaves
The heist sent shockwaves through France’s cultural establishment. Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack as “an assault on a heritage we cherish because it is our History. We will recover the works and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin described the theft as delivering “a very negative image of France” in terms of security and protection of national treasures.
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What it says about museum security
Commentators wasted no time pointing out how the theft exposed glaring vulnerabilities at one of the world’s most-visited museums. Security systems, staffing levels, and infrastructure are now under scrutiny.
Union representatives at the museum had already been warning of staffing shortages and an overstretched facility earlier this year.
The investigation
French prosecutors have opened an investigation for organised theft and criminal conspiracy. The case has been assigned to the anti-crime brigade in coordination with the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property.
Investigators are analysing CCTV footage, tracing the escape route, and tracking the tools and costume disguises left behind. Though one piece – the broken crown – was recovered, the whereabouts of the remaining items remain unknown.
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Why this matters
- The pieces stolen aren’t just valuable — they are heritage. They tell the story of Napoleon, France’s imperial era, and the symbols of state that were worn by its rulers.
- The fact that the heist was carried out in broad daylight, with such planning and speed, shines a spotlight on the risks facing cultural institutions around the world.
- For the tourism-reliant Louvre, this represents not just a loss of objects but a blow to credibility and the promise of safe, secure access to one of the globe’s iconic cultural sites.
What’s next?
The museum has not announced a reopening date; it remains closed while investigations continue. Visitors are advised to check official channels for updates and refund information.
Authorities hope the highly visible nature of the crime will increase chances of recovering the pieces — though experts warn that once jewels are removed, they may be recut or dispersed, making recovery more tricky.
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