Eight pieces of the French crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre in the sensational theft on Sunday, Oct. 19. This was confirmed by France’s Ministry of Culture in a statement that was issued a few hours after the fact. According to official reports, the pieces stolen from the Galerie d’Apollon are as follows: the Diadem from the sapphire parure of Queen Marie Amelia and Queen Hortense; the necklace from the sapphire parure of Queen Marie Amelia and Queen Hortense; the earring from the same sapphire parure of Queen Marie Amelia and Queen Hortense; the emerald necklace from Empress Marie Louise’s parure; the pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie Louise’s parure; the “Reliquary” brooch; Empress Eugenie’s tiara; Empress Eugenie’s large corsage bow (brooch).
According to the press release, the alarms located on the exterior window of the Galerie d’Apollon from which the thieves entered would have gone off: however, the Franceinfo portal, having heard a police source, reported that the thieves would have entered through a window whose alarm system had been hacked for a month and a half, and therefore that at the time of the theft the alarm did not sound. However, everyone agrees that at 9:37 a.m., or three minutes after the commandos entered the museum, the “Ramses” alarm, the platform that connects the Louvre to the Ministry of the Interior, went off. The Ministry of Culture statement, however, reports that the thieves’ action was “particularly swift and brutal,” and that the five museum staff present in the hall and adjacent spaces immediately took action to apply security protocols, which include forwarding a call to law enforcement and prioritizing the protection of people inside the museum.
“Thanks to the professionalism and rapid intervention of the Louvre staff,” the note continued, “the miscreants were put to flight and left in place their tools and one of the stolen objects, Empress Eugénie’s crown, the condition of which is now being assessed. An attempt to set fire to the mechanical vehicle used by the malefactors was prevented thanks to the intervention of a Louvre employee.” The ministry confirms that there were no injuries among either the public or museum staff. Investigations are currently underway to clarify the contours of the incident.
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| Here are the eight jewels stolen from the Louvre on Sunday. Photo |
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