The priceless crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, has been left badly deformed following a dramatic theft at the Louvre in Paris. This damage occurred as hooded robbers attempted to flee with the treasure during a brazen daylight heist that shocked the art world.
Details of the Daylight Robbery
On October 19, just after the museum opened, four thieves posing as workers executed a meticulously planned robbery. Using a truck-mounted device to access the second floor, they smashed through a window with power tools and entered the lavish Apollo Gallery. There, they cut through reinforced glass display cases to seize eight precious treasures valued at an estimated £76 million.
The Fate of the Empress's Crown
In their haste to escape, the thieves attempted to remove Empress Eugenie's diadem through a narrow hole they had sawed in its glass display. This caused the crown to become skewed and broken out of shape. Despite the significant deformation, the Louvre has confirmed that the headpiece can be fully restored. It remains nearly intact, retaining its 56 emeralds, though it is missing one of its eight golden eagles and 10 of its 1,354 diamonds.
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
French police have successfully arrested all four alleged members of the heist crew. However, the mastermind behind the operation remains at large, and authorities have not yet tracked down the remaining missing jewels. Prosecutors acted swiftly, driven by fears that the priceless gems and rare metals might be melted down and sold on the black market.
The Stolen Treasures
The stolen items, once displayed in the Apollo Gallery, include:
- A sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.
- An emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife.
- A reliquary brooch.
- Empress Eugénie’s diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch, part of a prized imperial ensemble.
Restoration Efforts and Insurance Implications
An expert committee led by the Louvre's president, Laurence des Cars, has been appointed to supervise the restoration of the damaged crown. In a further blow, France will not receive an insurance payout for the stolen, unretrieved jewels, as they were not covered by private insurance. This highlights the vulnerabilities in protecting such irreplaceable cultural artefacts.
The four-minute heist, which occurred with visitors already inside the museum, ended with the thieves fleeing on scooters, leaving behind a trail of destruction and a deformed crown that now symbolises the audacity of the crime. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in museum security and the preservation of heritage in the face of sophisticated criminal operations.
