The Louvre Reopens After Daring Daylight Heist
The Louvre museum in Paris reopened on Wednesday, just three days after a daring daylight heist that stunned the world. The thieves slipped in and out of the museum, making off with eight pieces from France’s Crown Jewels, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring. The loot is valued at over $100 million and is considered one of the most significant museum thefts of the century.
The heist has put embattled President Emmanuel Macron, Louvre chief Laurence des Cars, and others under fresh scrutiny. It comes just months after employees went on strike, warning of chronic understaffing and underresourced protections, with too few eyes on too many rooms. The museum’s security has been questioned, and many are wondering how such a brazen theft could have occurred.
The Heist
The thieves spent less than four minutes inside the Louvre on Sunday morning. They used a freight lift to gain access to the museum and smashed two vitrines to get to the jewels. The getaway was made on motorbikes through central Paris, with alarms going off and agents drawing to the gallery, forcing the intruders to bolt.
The thieves made away with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. They also made off with an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, as well as a reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch — an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship — were also part of the loot.
Police officers look for clues by a basket lift used by thieves Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at the Louvre museum in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Disbelief and Reaction
Three days after the heist, the jewels remain missing, and the thieves are still at large. Reactions are divided, with some visitors expressing disbelief and others being unperturbed. “For a place like the Louvre, it’s unfathomable,” said Amanda Lee, 36, an art teacher from Chicago. “I heard it took under four minutes. How is that possible here, with no police in sight?”
Others, like Claire Martin, 41, a French lawyer from Versailles, were more laid-back. “We told the kids it’s a history lesson. The Apollo Room is shut, but we saw the masterpieces,” she said. “We came for the art. The police can deal with the thieves.”
France Acknowledges Failings
Authorities have acknowledged that the thieves spent less than four minutes inside the Louvre. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, “We have failed,” noting that the ability to plant a freight lift undetected on a public way projects “a very negative image of France.”
The Louvre declined questions from The Associated Press to detail any reinforced protocols. It said no uniformed police were posted in the corridors. With school holidays swelling demand, the day was fully booked and access limited.
Visitors watch “La liberte guidant le peuple” by Eugene Delacroix, center, in the Louvre museum three days after historic jewels were stolen in a daring daylight heist, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Fears the Jewels Will Be Destroyed
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau valued the haul at about $102 million, a “spectacular” figure that still fails to capture the works’ historical weight. She warned the thieves would be unlikely to realize anything close to that sum if they pry out stones or melt the metals — a fate curators fear would pulverize centuries of meaning into anonymous gems for the black market.
Beccuau said expert analyses are underway; four people have been identified as present at the scene, and roughly 100 investigators are mapping the crew and any accomplices.
Questions About Louvre’s Security Overhaul
The heist has intensified scrutiny of the Louvre’s security. Museum director Laurence des Cars appeared before the Senate’s culture committee Wednesday, but top officials have, for now, refused to remove her. Culture Minister
