Historic $100 Million Heist at the Louvre: Royal Jewels Stolen in Seven-Minute Daylight Robbery

The Louvre museum in Paris is scheduled to resume operations on Wednesday after being closed for two days following a shocking jewelry heist.

According to a French prosecutor's statement on Tuesday, the royal jewels stolen from the Louvre during a daring daylight robbery are valued at more than $100 million. Museum director Laurence des Cars has been summoned to face questions from a Senate committee regarding security protocols after the brazen weekend theft.

Des Cars has remained silent since the incident on Sunday when thieves executed a sophisticated seven-minute robbery in broad daylight. The museum has kept its doors closed for two days to accommodate the investigation, disappointing thousands of tourists, and was already scheduled for its regular Tuesday closure.

This high-profile theft has intensified debates about inadequate security measures in French cultural institutions, particularly as two other museums suffered similar breaches last month.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau specified that "The Louvre curator estimated the damages to be 88 million euros," equivalent to approximately $102 million. She emphasized that the greater loss is to France's historical heritage, noting that the thieves would not realize the full value if they "had the very bad idea of melting down these jewels."

Investigators believe an organized crime group orchestrated the heist by positioning a truck with an extendable ladder beneath the museum's Apollo Gallery. The perpetrators climbed up, used cutting equipment to breach a window, and accessed display cases containing the precious artifacts. During their escape, they reportedly dropped a diamond-studded crown.

Beccuau confirmed that four individuals participated in the robbery and authorities are analyzing fingerprints discovered at the scene. Detectives are meticulously reviewing surveillance footage from the museum and major Paris highways, seeking evidence of the robbers who fled on scooters.

Des Cars, who has led the Louvre since 2021, is expected to appear before the Senate's culture committee on Wednesday afternoon.

A report by France's Court of Auditors covering 2019 to 2024 revealed "persistent" delays in security upgrades at the Louvre, with only a quarter of one wing monitored by video surveillance. Earlier this year, Des Cars had alerted Culture Minister Rachida Dati about a "worrying level of obsolescence" at the museum, emphasizing the urgent need for major renovations.

The thieves escaped with eight priceless historical pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace given by Napoleon I to his wife Empress Marie-Louise and a diadem that belonged to Empress Eugenie, adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds.

In response to criticism about inadequate protection, the museum issued a statement Tuesday asserting that the display cases housing the jewelry were installed in 2019 and "represented a considerable improvement in terms of security."

French museums appear increasingly targeted by sophisticated thieves. Last month, criminals broke into Paris's Natural History Museum, stealing gold nuggets valued at over $1.5 million. Authorities recently detained a 24-year-old Chinese woman in Barcelona attempting to dispose of nearly one kilogram of melted gold pieces connected to that theft.

Additionally, thieves stole two dishes and a vase estimated at $7.6 million from a museum in Limoges last month.

According to the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Property, "Museums are increasingly targeted for the valuable works they hold."

Labor unions have voiced concerns that security staff positions at the Louvre have been reduced while visitor numbers to the world-famous museum—home to treasures including the Mona Lisa—have significantly increased. A union representative emphasized, "We cannot do without physical surveillance."