As I reported on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at around 9:30 a.m., thieves broke into the Galerie d’Apollon at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, stealing eight historical pieces from the Joyaux de la Couronne de France. 

Among the stolen items were a diadème from the parure once belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie, later passed through her descendants, and Empress Eugénie’s diadème, consisting of diamonds and emeralds. The Couronne de l’Impératrice Eugénie, set with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds,  was later recovered outside the museum, damaged after being dropped during the escape.

According to investigators from the Préfecture de police de Paris and the police judiciaire, the assailants used a truck-mounted platform to reach an upper-floor window under renovation, forced entry, smashed several vitrines, and fled on motorbikes. The entire operation reportedly lasted between four and seven minutes.

Le ministre de l’Intérieur, Laurent Nuñez, confirmed that eight pieces were taken from a collection associated with Emperor Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie.  According to an official communiqué from le Ministère de la Culture de la République française, the following pieces of the Joyaux de la Couronne de France were stolen:

• Diadème de la parure de la reine Marie-Amélie et de la reine Hortense
• Collier de la parure de saphirs de la reine Marie-Amélie et de la reine Hortense
• Boucle d’oreille (d’une paire) de la parure de saphirs de la reine Marie-Amélie et de la reine Hortense
• Collier en émeraudes de la parure de Marie-Louise
• Paire de boucles d’oreilles en émeraudes de la parure de Marie-Louise
• Broche dite broche reliquaire
• Diadème de l’Impératrice Eugénie
• Grand nœud de corsage de l’Impératrice Eugénie (broche)

In a statement, le ministre de l’Intérieur described the stolen items as possessing “une valeur patrimoniale et historique inestimable.” A full investigation has been launched by le parquet de Paris for organised theft and criminal conspiracy. 

The Musée du Louvre and le Ministère de l’Intérieur are working closely with the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB), the specialised art-crime unit, which is reviewing CCTV footage and forensic evidence to determine whether the robbery involved insider coordination or prior surveillance.

Jean-Carl Pierre Marie d’Orléans, Comte de Paris, born May 19, 1965, in Boulogne-Billancourt, is the Head of the Maison d’Orléans, a cadet branch of the former French royal family descended from King Louis-Philippe I, who reigned from 1830 to 1848. Considered by Orléanist monarchists as the principal claimant to the historical throne of France, the Comte issued a statement:

“It is with immense sadness that I learned of the theft of historic jewels at the Louvre, among them the sapphire diadème and parure of Queen Marie-Amélie, which also once belonged to my grandmother.

These jewels are not merely family heirlooms, they are a living part of our national history, a testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of our country.

Their disappearance deeply saddens me and, I believe, represents a painful loss for the French people.

I wish to express my support for the authorities and the teams at the Musée du Louvre who are working to recover them.

I call on everyone to recognise how vital it is to protect these precious witnesses of our history, which connect us to what is noble and timeless about France. To protect our heritage is to honour our shared memory and serve our country.”

Prince Joachim Charles Napoléon Murat, born May 3, 1973, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, is heir apparent to the Maison Murat.  He is descended from Marshal Joachim Murat, King of Naples and brother-in-law of Emperor Napoléon I.  The Prince represents the Napoleonic legacy within France’s historic nobility.  In his statement, he noted that:

“It is with immense sadness and deep indignation that I learned of the theft of the imperial jewels stolen this morning at the Musée du Louvre.

These diadèmes, colliers and parures belonging to Napoléon Iᵉʳ, Joséphine, Marie-Louise and Empress Eugénie are not mere works of art, they belong to France, to its people, to each of its children.

Created by the greatest goldsmiths in our history, these jewels embody the French genius, its taste for beauty and the sublime. By stealing them, it is not only precious stones that have been taken from a display case, it is a part of our national soul that has been stripped away.

This heinous act does not wound one family, one institution, or one era; it wounds all French people. For this heritage is our common good. I call upon the authorities and all defenders of heritage to bring these treasures back to their rightful place, that of the French people.”

Princess Yasmine Murat, wife of Prince Joachim Murat, also issued a statement expressing her sorrow:

“I express my deep sadness following the theft of Napoleonic jewels that occurred today at the Musée du Louvre.

I am affected not only as a member of the Imperial family but above all as a Frenchwoman, deeply attached to our history and to those who keep it alive, and to our national treasures.

Like all lovers of heritage throughout the world, I feel profound sorrow at this assault on what unites us, memory and beauty.”

Speaking to French media outlets, Dutch art historian and art crime detective, Mr. Arthur Brand, often referred to as “the Indiana Jones of the art world,” described the theft as a race against time.

“These crown jewels are so famous, you just cannot sell them,” he said. “The only thing they can do is melt the silver and gold down, dismantle the diamonds. That’s the way they will probably disappear forever. They have a week. If they catch the thieves, the pieces might still be there. If it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled. It’s a race against time.”

As of Monday evening, the Musée du Louvre remains closed while investigators continue to review surveillance footage and follow leads. 

The ministre de l’Intérieur, Laurent Nuñez, described the raid as “une opération professionnelle visant des objets d’une valeur patrimoniale inestimable,” while the Ministère de la Culture, Rachida Dati, affirmed that the government would take “toutes les mesures possibles” to recover the stolen works and reinforce protection for national heritage.

Meanwhile, INTERPOL has now listed the jewels stolen from the Musée du Louvre in its Stolen Works of Art database, marking an escalation in the international investigation and highlighting the global urgency to recover France’s missing crown jewels.