Investigation finds crown after Louvre robbery: 1,3 diamonds and 56 emeralds
French authorities are on alert after the theft of historic and luxury items
247 - French authorities recovered on Sunday (19) the crown of Empress Eugénie, made up of 1.354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. Investigators found the object a few hours after the theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The piece shows damage, but there are still no details about the extent of it. The Louvre is world-famous and received 8,7 million visitors in 2024.
Appointed Crown Jeweller by Napoleon III, Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier was responsible for creating the crown in 1855. It was first exhibited at the Universal Exposition in Paris. At the time, the emperor was trying to reaffirm France's prestige in the eyes of the European powers.
In 1988, the crown became part of the French public collection, with the participation of collector Roberto Polo in the acquisition. The theft that damaged the crown lasted about seven minutes, according to the Paris police.
The Louvre Museum has a collection of over 33 pieces, ranging from antiquities from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the classical world. It houses works of European painting and sculpture. Among the most sought-after highlights are the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo sculpture, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
How did the action go?
Thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in the French capital. They used a crane to smash a window on the upper floor and then fled on motorcycles, the French government reported. The robbers launched their attack around 9:30 a.m. (local time). The museum had already opened its doors to the public. The criminals entered the Galerie d'Apollon building, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The robbery took about four minutes, Culture Minister Rachida Dati told TF1, and was carried out by professionals.
"We saw some footage: they don't target people, they calmly enter within four minutes, break shop windows, take the items and leave. No violence, very professional," she said on TF1.
The minister reported that a piece of jewelry had been recovered outside the museum, which apparently fell during the escape. Dati refused to say what the item was, but the newspaper Le Parisien said it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie. The jewel was broken, the newspaper said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told France Inter that three or four thieves entered the museum from the outside using a crane mounted on a truck. "They broke a window, went to the display cases and stole the jewels... which have real and inestimable historical value," Nunez said (with Reuters).
