In a brazen daylight robbery on Sunday morning, a group of professional thieves made off with a collection of French Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The audacious heist has left authorities and the public stunned.

According to French police, the culprits, estimated to be a group of three to four individuals, ingeniously used a construction truck and ladder to access a second-floor balcony. From there, they smashed through a window into the Apollo Room, targeting jewels once owned by Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie.

Efforts to catalog the full extent of the stolen items are still underway, with officials refraining from estimating the value of the missing diamonds. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez emphasized that the jewelry holds immense sentimental value, rendering it “priceless.”

The entire operation was alarmingly swift, with the thieves executing their plan within seven minutes before making a swift exit on motorbikes. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during their escape.

In the aftermath, investigators discovered an emerald-studded crown belonging to Empress Eugenie abandoned outside the museum. Sadly, the crown was damaged when it was found.

This shocking theft unfolded a mere 200 yards from the iconic Mona Lisa, which thankfully remained untouched. Meanwhile, bemused tourists were seen being redirected from the Apollo Room as the museum grappled with the unfolding drama.

A daytime robbery of the Louvre is nearly unheard of, though thieves have targeted Europe’s museums during public hours before.

The Louvre is the most visited and arguably the most famous museum in the world. It has its own history of thefts and attempted robberies, the most famous being the 1911 pilfering of the Mona Lisa by Vincenzo Peruggia.

“It’s unlikely these jewels will ever be seen again,” said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds. “Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance.”

With News Wire Services

Originally Published: October 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM EDT